Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed a conservative ally as defence minister on Wednesday, in a cabinet reshuffle that left most key posts unchanged, and he promised to speed up the economy's escape from deflation and boost regional ties, Reuters reported. New Minister of Defence Tomomi Inada, previously the ruling party policy chief, shares Abe's goal of revising the post-war, pacifist constitution. She also regularly visits Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine for war dead, which China and South Korea see as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Abe told a news conference the economy was his top priority and he would devote himself to lifting the country out of deflation, but that he also aimed to mend regional relations in the face of the threat posed by North Korea. "We will steadily strengthen ties with neighbouring countries such as China and South Korea, and proceed with talks with Russia for a peace treaty," he said. "Today, North Korea yet again carried out a ballistic missile launch. It appears to have fallen within Japan's EEZ, which poses a grave threat to Japan's security and is an unforgivable outrage," he said. Abe, who took office in December 2012, will retain his right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, along with Finance Minister Taro Aso and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. Economics Minister Nobuteru Ishihara will also be kept on along with Health, Welfare and Labour Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko will become trade and industry minister. Tamayo Marukawa, who served as environment minister in the previous cabinet, was appointed minister in charge of overseeing preparations for Tokyo's 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
