EMPEROR'S CERTIFICATION: Prime Minister Taro Aso (right) receives a certificate from Emperor Akihito (left) during the installation ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on September 25, while former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda looks on (XINHUA/AP)

On September 24, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President, 68-year-old Taro Aso, became Japan's 59th prime minister. He wasted no time organizing his cabinet and announced the lineup later that day.

The Aso cabinet was inaugurated at a crucial moment for the country. Domestically, the opposition Democratic Party controls the upper house and challenges the LDP's rule, making the country a political powder keg as it prepares for a parliamentary election. In the meantime, Japan's legendary social security system, including pensions and health insurance, is broken. Japanese civilians worry about the country's future. Internationally, the financial downturn triggered by the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis has become even more severe, causing turbulence in global financial markets and pulling down economies. Since Japan relies on foreign trade and economic globalization, a weak international economic environment is especially bad news for its economy. Steering Japan through such a difficult time will be a tough challenge for Aso, who is from a smaller faction of the LDP.

Careful consideration

Aso's choice of cabinet members reflects practical consideration based on the current situation. In preparation for the election, the cabinet has several new faces because younger cabinet ministers receive more attention from voters. Five ministers are serving in the cabinet for the first time, including the youngest postwar cabinet member at 34. Following the old LDP tradition of rewarding those who contribute more, Aso appointed several loyal supporters in the LDP presidential election. He also considered the balance among different LDP factions when allocating posts, so as to enhance his cabinet's cohesiveness and ensure himself a stable power base.

After Aso's predecessor Yasuo Fukuda resigned last month, heads of larger LDP factions neither ran for LDP president nor sought cabinet posts that would require them to deal with current political and economic troubles. Rather than expose themselves to criticism before a parliamentary election, many LDP leaders decided to pull their chestnuts out of the fire. This not only demonstrates their political savvy, but also their strategy of manipulating the political situation behind the scenes.

It also means the Aso cabinet has to take into account the orders and will of LDP leaders when it makes decisions. This cabinet has some characteristics of a transitional authority. Some Japanese media even called Aso's team an election management cabinet, believing it is only a caretaker government until the next election.

The cabinet's composition hints that the fights between different political generations in Japan are not over yet. In the last 10 years, political newcomers who were born after World War II have rapidly become stars, taking over the leadership of factions. Their success broke the country's tradition of "elder politics," which featured promotion by seniority. However, their performance has not been tactful or satisfactory, opening the door for well-known politicians from older generations to return. Conflicts between older and younger political stars are now at the heart of Japanese politics.