New Cabinet under Takaichi omits dedicated minister for elderly, disabled

By Barrier Free Japan

October 22 2025

TOKYO – Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s new Cabinet, launched Tuesday, appointed Kenichiro Ueno as health, labor and welfare minister and Hitoshi Kikawada as minister for children and population issues, but did not include a minister specifically in charge of elderly or disabled affairs, leaving those areas under the health ministry’s broader welfare framework.

The appointments come as Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, seeks to balance economic recovery and demographic challenges in the early days of her administration. However, the new lineup includes no minister explicitly tasked with overseeing policies for elderly or disabled people, areas typically handled within the health ministry’s existing framework.