News PM Kishida reshuffles cabinet over Unification Church backlash

• Yamagiwa Daishiro, state minister for economic revitalization (made a donation to a church-related organisation in 2013)
• Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi
• Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki
• Transport minister Tetsuo Saito (Komeito)
• Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno

Lineup of Kishida Cabinet (Source: Asahi)

* Prime Minister:
Fumio Kishida, 65, Lower House, LDP

* Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications:
Minoru Terada, 64, Lower House, LDP

* Justice Minister:
Yasuhiro Hanashi, 62, Lower House, LDP

* Foreign Minister:
Yoshimasa Hayashi, 61, Lower House, LDP

* Finance Minister:
Shunichi Suzuki, 69, Lower House, LDP

* Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology:
Keiko Nagaoka, 68, Lower House, LDP

* Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare:
Katsunobu Kato, 66, Lower House, LDP

* Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:
Tetsuro Nomura, 78, Upper House, LDP

* Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry:
Yasutoshi Nishimura, 59, Lower House, LDP

* Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism:
Tetsuo Saito, 70, Lower House, Komeito

* Environment Minister:
Akihiro Nishimura, 62, Lower House, LDP

* Defense Minister:
Yasukazu Hamada, 66, Lower House, LDP

* Chief Cabinet Secretary:
Hirokazu Matsuno, 59, Lower House, LDP

* Minister for Digitization:
Taro Kono, 59, Lower House, LDP

* Reconstruction Minister:
Kenya Akiba, 60, Lower House, LDP

* National Public Safety Commission Chairman:
Koichi Tani, 70, Lower House, LDP

* Minister in Charge of Measures to Deal with the Declining Birthrate:
Masanobu Ogura, 41, Lower House, LDP

* Minister for Regional Revitalization
Naoki Okada, 60, Upper House, LDP

* Minister for Economic Revitalization:
Daishiro Yamagiwa, 53, Lower House, LDP

* Minister in Charge of Economic Security:
Sanae Takaichi, 61, Lower House, LDP

LDP EXECUTIVE LINEUP
Vice President:
Taro Aso, 81, Lower House

Secretary-General:
Toshimitsu Motegi, 66, Lower House

General Council Chair:
Toshiaki Endo, 72, Lower House

Policy Chief:
Koichi Hagiuda, 58, Lower House

Election Strategy Committee Chair:
Hiroshi Moriyama, 77, Lower House

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The revelations add to evidence of what could be a deeply ingrained network of contact between ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and the Unification Church. Seven ministers in the revamped cabinet have also acknowledged their ties of some sort to the group under the renewed spotlight since the assassination of former premier Shinzo Abe. The religious group, known formally as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, was founded by a staunch anti-communist and is known for its mass weddings. It has drawn scrutiny over "spiritual sales," in which people are talked into buying jars and other items for exorbitant prices. The nature of ties to the church varies among the 20 of 54 lawmakers appointed as senior vice ministers and parliamentary vice ministers on Friday. Some had participated in events linked to the group, sent congratulatory messages and sold fund-raising party tickets.

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Lawmakers from the LDP, now headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, accounted for 82 of the total, highlighting close ties between the main ruling party and the church, founded in South Korea in the 1950s and identified as a cult by critics.

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