Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has launched his reshuffled cabinet.

5 new ministers were officially appointed at an attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Friday.

A former secretary general of the governing Democratic Party, Katsuya Okada, was appointed deputy prime minister. Okada also serves as minister in charge of reforms on social security, tax and administrative systems.

DPJ Upper House member Naoki Tanaka assumed the post of defense minister.

The party's Diet affairs chief Hirofumi Hirano is the new education minister.

The post of justice minister was taken up by Toshio Ogawa, the secretary general of the DPJ's Upper House caucus.

Former senior vice land minister Jin Matsubara now serves as minister in charge of the abduction issue and head of the National Public Safety Commission.

Noda held the cabinet's first meeting on Friday to adopt basic policies.

The basic policy says that the cabinet will put top priority on reconstruction after the March 11th disaster and bringing the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant under control. Economic revival is another priority.

The cabinet pledges to carry out social security and tax reforms, and the cabinet members will explain the importance of the reforms to the public.

The cabinet also promises to cut wasteful spending by carrying out administrative and fiscal reforms, to win public support for policy proposals including a consumption tax increase.

Noda is scheduled to hold a news conference on Friday evening.

Source: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120113_22.html

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