Japan's prime minister reshuffles Cabinet

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reshuffled her Cabinet Thursday, retaining several key ministers, local media reported.

Takaichi cut Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi while inducting a newcomer from the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kyodo News Agency reported.

Those who managed to retain their posts in the new Cabinet included Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

Hiroshi Nakatsuka, a former secretary general of the JIP, assumed the post of minister in charge of regulatory reform, becoming the first minister from the LDP's junior coalition partner.

This marked the first Cabinet reshuffle since Takaichi took office last year. It comes before an extraordinary parliamentary session starting in October.

The Cabinet held a meeting earlier in the day to collect resignation letters from ministers ahead of the reshuffle.

Support for the Cabinet of Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, has remained at around 50% in recent months after starting at around 70%.

Takaichi is expected to appoint new senior vice ministers and parliamentary vice ministers at government ministries on Friday.