The primary focus in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet reshuffle was the fate of Yoshimasa Hayashi, a veteran lawmaker widely viewed as a leading contender to succeed Takaichi.

With her eyes set on securing re-election in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race next year, Takaichi chose to oust Hayashi from the Cabinet.

Shortly after the new lineup was announced on Sept. 17, Hayashi looked back on his approximately 11 months in the Cabinet at his final news conference as internal affairs minister.

“Personally speaking, I feel a twinge of sadness as I have worked with all (other Cabinet ministers) for nearly a year,” he said.

His tone suggested he had wanted to remain in the post.

Ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle and LDP leadership changes, decisions were made early on to retain Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Takayuki Kobayashi, chairman of the LDP’s Policy Research Council.

The three lawmakers, who ran in the 2025 LDP presidential election along with Takaichi and Hayashi, are also considered potential successors to Takaichi.

Only the fate of Hayashi, who has made no secret of his ambition to become the next LDP leader, remained uncertain until the last moment.

As time passed, lawmakers distant from Takaichi called on Hayashi to part ways with the prime minister to accelerate preparations for the next LDP leadership contest.

If a sitting Cabinet minister challenges the prime minister for the party’s top post, they are bound to face criticism for “disunity in the Cabinet” or “betraying one’s superior.”

A former Cabinet minister advised Hayashi to ask Takaichi to let him “sit this one out.”

At the Sept. 17 news conference, Hayashi was repeatedly asked if Takaichi had requested him to stay on.

“I will refrain from commenting on personnel matters,” he said.

A veteran LDP lawmaker said being left out of the Cabinet must be tough for Hayashi, who has held numerous important posts in the government and the ruling party.

“Being sidelined is one of the best experiences you can have,” the lawmaker said. “It toughens you as a person.”

However, Hayashi, outside the Cabinet, is now free to maneuver without constraints.

His departure could even help to rally anti-Takaichi forces within the LDP.

Some in the administration believe that Takaichi retained Koizumi and Motegi to limit the freedom of movement of potential challengers toward the next leadership race.

At a news conference on Sept. 17, Takaichi was asked why Hayashi alone had been left out.

Without mentioning Hayashi by name, she said, “I will refrain from commenting on personnel matters.”

One factor believed to be behind her decision is Hayashi’s extensive travel to regional areas around the country in his capacity as internal affairs minister.

In the 2025 LDP leadership contest, Hayashi received more votes than Takaichi from party lawmakers in the first round of voting.

However, Takaichi garnered nearly twice as many “local votes” from rank-and-file party members and registered supporters.

To those close to Takaichi, Hayashi’s “official duties” on the road appeared to be laying the groundwork for another run in the next leadership race.

Moreover, Hayashi stands in marked ideological contrast to Takaichi, who is attuned to the conservative base.

Hayashi hails from the now-defunct LDP faction headed by then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that was positioned on the LDP’s liberal wing.

There are also stark policy differences. Hayashi emphasizes fiscal discipline, while Takaichi champions expansionary fiscal policy.

When forming her first administration, Takaichi appointed rivals across the board to project an image of party unity.

In the latest reshuffle, she showcased her own political colors without restraint, buoyed by high approval ratings for her Cabinet, said a close aide to the prime minister.

(This article was written by Shohei Sasagawa and Kohei Morioka.)