Takaichi Holds Press Conference on Cabinet Appointments

Prime Minister Takaichi announced that House of Representatives member Arata Takebe would succeed Minister Yanagi and said the prescribed procedures would be completed that day. Mr. Takebe has served as a senior vice minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, chair of the ruling party’s Agriculture and Forestry Division, and chair of its Fisheries Research Commission. The prime minister said he was well versed in agricultural, forestry and fisheries administration and could contribute immediately, including in Diet matters.

The prime minister described securing food security as an urgent challenge. She said she wanted to promote the domestic adoption and overseas deployment of new technologies, and develop overseas markets for Japanese agricultural, forestry, fisheries and food products, thereby turning exports into an industry and improving the food self-sufficiency rate. She expected the new minister to advance administration without delay and set out new prospects for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the food industry.

Instructions to Mr. Takebe included promoting agriculture, forestry and fisheries and developing rural communities, strengthening food security, and using food technology such as plant factories, land-based aquaculture, and AI analysis of satellite data. He was also asked to promote new technologies and their systems domestically and deploy them overseas, as well as develop overseas markets for agricultural, forestry, fisheries and food products.

Regarding the detention of the Japanese journalist, the prime minister said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had made representations to Russian authorities and sought contact, including a consular visit. She stated that the Japanese government does not engage in espionage, while noting that the details of the allegations made by Russia were not yet known, and said Japan would convey its position.