Japanese PM reshuffles Cabinet

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reshuffled his Cabinet Friday to promote discussions with the opposition parties on his proposal to raise the nation's sales tax.

Katsuya Okada, a formal secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), was appointed as the deputy prime minister, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said at a press conference.

The Japanese prime minister replaced Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa and Consumer Affairs Minister Kenji Yamaoka. Both of them were censured in the upper house last year.

The new defense minister is Naoki Tanaka, a DPJ upper house member. Noda retained other key posts including foreign minister and finance minister.

The ministers of Noda's Cabinet resigned on Friday in a move to prepare for the first reshuffle since the Japanese prime minister launched the Cabinet last September.

Noda collected the resignations from his Cabinet members at a meeting on Friday morning.

Noda meant the reshuffle to promote discussions with the opposition parties on his proposal to raise the nation's 5 percent sales tax rate to 8 percent in April 2014, and 10 percent in October 2015, according to the lawmakers.

Okada is expected to take the lead in talks with the opposition camp on the tax hike.

Japan's newly-appointed Vice Prime Minister Katsuya Okada, uses a mobile phone as he walks at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo Jan 13, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]