| Cabinet Name: | First Koizumi Cabinet |
| Cabinet Number: | 87th |
| Jurisdiction: | Japan |
| Flag: | Flag of Japan.svg |
| Flag Border: | true |
| Date Formed: | April 26, 2001 |
| Date Dissolved: | November 19, 2003 |
| Government Head: | Junichiro Koizumi |
| State Head: | Emperor Akihito |
| Political Party: | LDP-NKP-NCP coalition |
| Legislature Status: | Coalition majority |
| Opposition Party: | Democratic Party of Japan |
| Opposition Leader: | Yukio Hatoyama (2001-2002) Naoto Kan (2002-2003) |
| Election: | 2001 councillors election |
| Predecessor: | Second Mori Cabinet |
| Successor: | Second Koizumi Cabinet |
The First Koizumi Cabinet governed Japan from April 2001 until November 2003 under the leadership of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who came to power after winning a surprise victory in the LDP presidential election of 2001.[1] The cabinet continued the LDP-Komeito-NCP coalition and contained a record number of 5 women, including Makiko Tanaka as the first female Foreign Minister. Several ministers from the previous Mori Administration remained in office to ensure the continuity and stability of government.[2] Unusually for an LDP leader, Koizumi chose his cabinet himself and personally asked ministers to join the government, unlike previous practice where party factional leaders often chose government posts.[3]
Koizumi took office at a time of prolonged economic difficulties for Japan after the first "Lost Decade", including a banking sector affected by "bad loans". His policies promised bold structural reforms to economic, administrative and social policy using the slogans "reform with no sacred areas" and "without structural reforms there can be no economic recovery", explaining that he expected the country to endure short-term hardship, including higher unemployment, to make longer-term economic gains.[4] [5] [6] [7] Despite these promises of initial economic difficulties, the Koizumi cabinet enjoyed record popularity during its first year (reaching 90 percent in some polls), and the LDP gained several seats in the June 2001 upper house elections.[8] [9]
Koizumi's popularity declined significantly in early 2002 after he sacked Tanaka for disloyalty and for feuding with bureaucrats, and a series of scandals relating to the agriculture and foreign ministries came to light.[10] [11] In response, Koizumi ordered a quickening of the pace in terms of structural reform plans and made a highly publicised visit to North Korea in the autumn to discuss abducted Japanese citizens, which led to a recovery in his poll ratings.[12] [13] [14] [15] The first cabinet reshuffle then took place in September 2002 and did not bring about any major personnel changes, but did remove Financial Services Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa, who Koizumi felt was too timid on economic reform.[16]
The second cabinet reshuffle took place in September 2003, following Koizumi's re-election as LDP leader by a large margin, and involved substantial changes including the promotion of the reformist Sadakazu Tanigaki to Finance Minister. Despite this, the key figures of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Heizō Takenaka were kept in post.[17] [18] Koizumi then dissolved the Diet and called general elections in November 2003, which returned his coalition to office and led to the formation of the Second Koizumi Cabinet.[19] [20] The first Koizumi cabinet was the last to include the New Conservative Party as a coalition partner, which had declined in strength since its founding in April 2000 and finally merged with the LDP at Koizumi's suggestion after the 2003 election.[21]
| House of Representatives Absolute majority (241/480) required | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Choice | First Vote | ||
| Votes | |||
| Junichiro Koizumi | |||
| Yukio Hatoyama | |||
| Ozawa Ichiro | |||
| Shii Kazuo | |||
| Takako Doi | |||
| Abstentions (Including blank ballots) | |||
| Source Diet Minutes - 151st Session | |||
R = Member of the House of Representatives
C = Member of the House of Councillors
| Prime Minister | R | April 26, 2001 - September 26, 2006 | |||
| C | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| R | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| R | April 26, 2001 - January 30, 2002 | ||||
| Junichiro Koizumi | R | January 30, 2002 - February 1, 2002 | |||
| - | February 1, 2002 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of Finance | R | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| - | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| R | January 6, 2001 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | R | April 26, 2001 - September 30, 2002 | |||
| R | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| C | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| Minister of the Environment | - | January 6, 2001 - February 8, 2002 | |||
| R | February 8, 2002 - September 30, 2002 | ||||
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister for Gender Equality | R | October 27, 2000 - May 7, 2004 | |||
| Director of the National Public Safety Commission Minister for Disaster Management | R | April 26, 2001 - September 30, 2002 | |||
| R | April 26, 2001 - September 30, 2002 | ||||
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy) | R | April 26, 2001 - September 30, 2002 | |||
| Minister of State for Financial Services | R | January 6, 2001 - September 30, 2002 | |||
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy | - | April 26, 2001 - October 31, 2005 | |||
| Minister of State for Regulatory Reform | R | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Deputy Secretaries | |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) | R | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) | C | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | - | February 24, 1995 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Prime Minister | R | April 26, 2001 - September 26, 2006 | |||
| C | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| R | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| - | February 1, 2002 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of Finance | R | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| - | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| R | January 6, 2001 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | R | September 30, 2002 - April 1, 2003 | |||
| R | April 1, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| R | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| C | January 6, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| Minister of the Environment | R | September 30, 2002 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister for Gender Equality | R | October 27, 2000 - May 7, 2004 | |||
| R | September 30, 2002 - September 22, 2003 | ||||
| R | September 30, 2002 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy) | R | September 30, 2002 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister of State for Financial Services | - | April 26, 2001 - October 31, 2005 | |||
| Minister of State for Regulatory Reform | R | April 26, 2001 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Minister for Disaster Management Minister for Special Zones for Structural Reform | C | September 30, 2002 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Deputy Secretaries | |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) | R | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) | C | July 4, 2000 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | - | February 24, 1995 - September 22, 2003 | |||
| Prime Minister | R | April 26, 2001 - September 26, 2006 | |||
| R | September 22, 2003 - October 31, 2005 | ||||
| C | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| - | February 1, 2002 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of Finance | R | September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006 | |||
| R | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| R | January 6, 2001 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | R | April 1, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | |||
| R | September 22, 2003 - October 31, 2005 | ||||
| R | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of the Environment | R | September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006 | |||
| Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister for Gender Equality | R | October 27, 2000 - May 7, 2004 | |||
| C | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| R | September 30, 2002 - September 27, 2004 | ||||
| Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister of State (Science and Technology Policy) Minister of State for Personal Information Protection | R | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | |||
| Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister of State for Financial Services | - | April 26, 2001 - October 31, 2005 | |||
| Minister of State for Regulatory Reform Minister of State for Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan Minister of State for Administrative Reform Minister of State for Special Zones for Structural Reform Minister of State for Regional Revitalization | R | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | |||
| Minister for Disaster Management Minister of State for National Emergency Legislation | R | September 22, 2003 - September 27, 2004 | |||
| Deputy Secretaries | |||||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Representatives) | R | September 22, 2003 - May 7, 2004 | |||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs - House of Councillors) | C | September 22, 2003 - October 31, 2005 | |||
| Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) | - | September 22, 2003 - September 26, 2006 | |||
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