Possessing a petite figure and a lovely face, Japan's new Defense Minister, Ms. Tomomi Inada, is one of the tough politicians in Tokyo.
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| This week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed Tomomi Inada as Minister of Defense, becoming the second woman in Japan to hold the position. Inada's appointment is the most notable change in the cabinet reshuffle in Japan this week, with most key positions remaining largely unchanged. Photo: Avax |
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| Ms. Inada and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the LDP headquarters during the night of the Upper House election. Mr. Abe had publicly affirmed that Ms. Inada was the most potential candidate for the position of Prime Minister. Photo: Reuters |
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| Ms. Tomomi Inada, when she was the policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan, watches the Japanese upper house election at the party headquarters in Tokyo on the night of July 10. Photo: Reuters |
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| Ms Inada speaks to the press during a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in 2015, which China and South Korea see as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Ms Inada shares Prime Minister Abe's hardline and hawkish views on post-war reform and a pacifist constitution. Photo: Straits Times |
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| Ms. Inada met the press as Japan's new Defense Minister on August 3. A day later, she had strong messages for China and North Korea during her military inspection on August 4. Photo: Reuters |
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| Ms. Inada met the press on August 3 at the Prime Minister's Office headquarters. Previously, the female minister was not a person with much experience in defense and security issues. Photo: Reuters |
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| In her first tough statement on China on August 4 after taking office as Defense Minister, Ms. Inada said: "China is increasingly active in the seas and airspace (around Japan), increasingly wanting to use force to change the status quo." Ms. Inada's statement clearly aimed at China's illegal construction of artificial islands in the East Sea. Photo: Reuters |
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| New Defense Minister Inada reviews the honor guard at the Defense Ministry headquarters on August 4. She is the second woman to hold this position. Photo: Reuters |
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| Japanese political observers believe that Inanda's appointment as defense minister is intended to help her gain experience, especially in security matters, to become a future prime minister candidate. Japanese newspaper Yoimiuri asserted that Inada is the choice to directly inherit Mr. Abe's legacy and policies. Photo: Bloomberg |
According to Zing
