Naoto Kan, Japan’s prime minister, has appointed a leading member of the ruling Democratic party’s conservative wing as foreign minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
The reshuffle follows Mr Kan’s victory over a heavyweight rival in the party in a hard-fought leadership battle this week, which underscored the DPJ’s struggles to adapt to power after its historic election win in September 2009.
The appointment of Seiji Maehara as foreign minister is likely to be welcomed in Washington security circles. The DPJ’s former leader is a strong supporter of the Japan-US alliance who has long argued that officially pacifist Tokyo should be able to use its military for collective defence.
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