The Third Abe cabinet governed Japan under the leadership of the prime minister, Shinzō Abe, from December 2014 to November 2017. The government was a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito (which had changed its name from "New Komeito" in the 2012–2014 term) and controlled both the upper and lower houses of the National Diet.
Following the 2017 general election, the Third Abe cabinet was dissolved on November 1, 2017, and it was replaced by the Fourth Abe cabinet.
Background Following the snap "Abenomics Dissolution" and general election of 2014, Abe was re-elected by the Diet and chose to retain all the ministers from his previous cabinet except the defense minister, Akinori Eto, who had been involved in a money scandal. Abe explained that he aimed to avoid the disruption of another major personnel change only three months after the September cabinet reshuffle.-
Abe conducted three reshuffles of his third administration. The first took place in October 2015 following his re-election to another three-year term as president of the LDP and the launch of his "Abenomics 2.0" policies.- The second reshuffle occurred in August 2016, following the victory of the ruling coalition in the July 2016 upper house elections, the first time since 1989 that the LDP held an outright majority in the House of Councillors.- The third reshuffle occurred in August 2017.
Election of the prime minister + 24 December 2014 House of RepresentativesAbsolute majority (236/470) required Choice Vote Caucuses Votes Shinzō Abe LDP (290), Independent [Speaker] (1), NKP (35), Others (2) Katsuya Okada DPJ (72), Independent [Vice-Speaker] (1) Kenji Eda Japan Innovation Party (41) Kazuo Shii JCP (18) Takeo Hiranuma PfG (2), Independent (1) Tadatomo Yoshida SDP (2) Keiichirō Asao Independent (1) Toshinobu Nakazato Independent (1) Blank ballots Independents/Others (2) Unattributable vote (1) Source: 188th Diet Session (House of Representatives) (roll call only lists individual votes, not grouped by caucus)
+ 24 December 2014 House of CouncillorsAbsolute majority (121/240) required Choice Vote Caucuses Votes Shinzō Abe LDP (113), NKP (20), AEJ (2) Katsuya Okada DPJ-SR (58), PLP (2), Independent [Vice-President] (1) Kenji Eda JIP (11) Kazuo Shii JCP (11) Takeo Hiranuma PFG (6) Tadatomo Yoshida SDP (3), Independent [OSMP (1) Hiroyuki Arai NRP-Group of Independents (2) Kōta Matsuda AEJ (2) Tarō Yamada AEJ (1) Tarō Yamamoto Independent (1) Blank ballots PFG (1), AEJ (1), Independent Club (4) Source: 188th Diet Session (House of Councillors) (lists individual votes grouped by caucus)
Lists of ministers
R = Member of the House of Representatives C = Member of the House of Councillors N = Non-Diet member
Cabinet + Third Abe cabinet from December 24, 2014 to October 7, 2015 Portfolio Minister Term Prime minister Shinzō Abe R December 26, 2012 – September 16, 2020 Deputy prime ministerMinister of financeMinister of state for financial servicesMinister in charge of overcoming deflation Tarō Asō R December 26, 2012 – October 4, 2021 Minister for internal affairs and communications Sanae Takaichi R September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2017 Minister of justice Yōko Kamikawa R October 20, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Minister of foreign affairs Fumio Kishida R December 26, 2012 – August 3, 2017 Minister of education, culture, sports, science and technologyMinister in charge of education rebuilding Hakubun Shimomura R December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 Minister of health, labour, and welfare Yasuhisa Shiozaki R September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2017 Minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries Koya Nishikawa R September 3, 2014 – February 23, 2015 Yoshimasa Hayashi C February 23, 2015 – October 7, 2015 Minister of economy, trade and industryMinister in charge of industrial competitivenessMinister in charge of the response to the economic impact caused by thenuclear accidentMinister of state for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and DecommissioningFacilitation Corporation Yoichi Miyazawa C October 20, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourismMinister in charge of water cycle policy Akihiro Ota R December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 Minister of the environmentMinister of state for nuclear emergency preparedness Yoshio Mochizuki R September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Minister of defenceMinister in charge of security legislation Gen Nakatani R December 24, 2014 – August 3, 2016 Chief cabinet secretaryMinister in charge of alleviating the burden of the bases in Okinawa Yoshihide Suga R December 26, 2012 – September 16, 2020 Minister of reconstructionMinister in charge of comprehensive policy co-ordination for revival from the nuclearaccident at Fukushima Wataru Takeshita R September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Chairperson of the National Public Safety CommissionMinister in charge of the abduction issueMinister in charge of ocean policy and territorial issuesMinister in charge of building national resilienceMinister of state for disaster management Eriko Yamatani C September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Minister of state for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairsMinister of state for consumer affairs and food safetyMinister of state for science and technology policyMinister of state for space policyMinister in charge of information technology policyMinister in charge of "Challenge Again" initiativeMinister in charge of "Cool Japan" Strategy Shunichi Yamaguchi R September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Minister in charge of support for women's empowermentMinister in charge of administrative reformMinister in charge of civil service reformMinister of state for regulatory reformMinister of state for measures for declining birthrateMinister of state for gender equality Haruko Arimura C September 3, 2014 – October 7, 2015 Minister in charge of economic revitalizationMinister in charge of total reform of social security and taxMinister of state for economic and fiscal policy Akira Amari R December 26, 2012 – January 28, 2016 Minister in charge of overcoming population decline and vitalizing local economy in JapanMinister of state for the National Strategic Special Zones Shigeru Ishiba R September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2016 Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Toshiaki Endo R June 25, 2015 – August 3, 2016Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Representatives) Katsunobu Kato R December 26, 2012 – October 7, 2015 Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Councillors) Hiroshige Seko C December 26, 2012 – August 13, 2016 Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) Kazuhiro Sugita – December 26, 2012 – October 4, 2021
Changes February 23, 2015 – The agriculture minister, Koya Nishikawa, resigned because of a campaign finance scandal. His immediate predecessor, Yoshimasa Hayashi, was recalled to replace him. June 25, 2015 – A new position of minister for the Olympics was created. Toshiaki Endo was appointed the inaugural minister.
First reshuffled cabinet
+ Third Abe cabinet from October 7, 2015 to August 3, 2016 Portfolio Minister Term Prime minister Shinzō Abe R December 26, 2012 – September 16, 2020 Deputy prime ministerMinister of financeMinister of state for financial servicesMinister in charge of overcoming deflation Tarō Asō R December 26, 2012 – October 4, 2021 Minister for internal affairs and communications Sanae Takaichi R September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2017 Minister of justice Mitsuhide Iwaki C→N October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister of foreign affairs Fumio Kishida R December 26, 2012 – August 3, 2017 Minister of education, culture, sports, science and technologyMinister in charge of education rebuilding Hiroshi Hase R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister of health, labour, and welfare Yasuhisa Shiozaki R September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2017 Minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries Hiroshi Moriyama R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister of economy, trade and industryMinister in charge of industrial competitivenessMinister in charge of the response to the economic impact caused by thenuclear accidentMinister of state for the Nuclear Damage Compensation and DecommissioningFacilitation Corporation Motoo Hayashi R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourismMinister in charge of water cycle policy Keiichi Ishii R October 7, 2015 – September 11, 2019 Minister of the environmentMinister of state for nuclear emergency preparedness Tamayo Marukawa C October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister of defence Gen Nakatani R December 24, 2014 – August 3, 2016 Chief cabinet secretaryMinister in charge of alleviating the burden of the bases in Okinawa Yoshihide Suga R December 26, 2012 – September 16, 2020 Minister of reconstructionMinister in charge of comprehensive policy co-ordination for revival from the nuclearaccident at Fukushima Tsuyoshi Takagi R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Chairman of the National Public Safety CommissionMinister in charge of administrative reformMinister in charge of civil service reformMinister of state for consumer affairs and food safetyMinister of state for regulatory reformMinister of state for disaster management Taro Kono R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister of state for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairsMinister of state for science and technology policyMinister of state for space policyMinister in charge of ocean policy and territorial issuesMinister in charge of information technology policyMinister in charge of "Cool Japan" strategy Aiko Shimajiri C→N October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2016 Minister in charge of economic revitalizationMinister in charge of total reform of social security and taxMinister of state for economic and fiscal policy Akira Amari R December 26, 2012 – January 28, 2016 Nobuteru Ishihara R January 28, 2016 – August 3, 2017 Minister for promoting dynamic engagement of all citizensMinister in charge of women's empowermentMinister in charge of "Challenge Again" initiativeMinister in charge of the abduction issueMinister in charge of building national resilienceMinister of state for measures for declining birthrateMinister of state for gender equality Katsunobu Katō R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2017 Minister in charge of overcoming population decline and vitalizing local economy in JapanMinister of State for the National Strategic Special Zones Shigeru Ishiba R September 3, 2014 – August 3, 2016 Minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Toshiaki Endo R June 25, 2015 – August 3, 2016Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Representatives) Kōichi Hagiuda R October 7, 2015 – August 3, 2017 Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political Affairs – House of Councillors) Hiroshige Seko C December 26, 2012 – August 13, 2016 Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Bureaucrat) Kazuhiro Sugita – December 26, 2012 – October 4, 2021
Changes January 28, 2016 – The economic revitalization minister, Akira Amari, resignedbecause of a bribery scandal and was replaced with Nobuteru Ishihara. July 2016 – The justice minister, Mitsuhide Iwaki, and the Okinawa minister, Aiko Shimajiri, lost their seats in the House of Councillors election but remained in office as ministers until the August cabinet reshuffle.
Second reshuffled cabinet