Ishiba looks to ‘defense tribe’ to fill key Cabinet positions

One of the major features of new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet becomes quickly apparent at just a glance.

With four former defense ministers in key posts — most notably, the defense and foreign affairs portfolios — it leans heavily on members of the Liberal Democratic Party’s bōeizoku, or “defense tribe.”

Ishiba has named Gen Nakatani — who served in the post under late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — as his new defense chief in a bid to tap his wealth of knowledge and maintain momentum for building up Japan’s defense capabilities.