(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled his cabinet and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership on Monday, following the party's defeat in upper house elections in July.Following are profiles of people chosen for key posts.
FINANCE MINISTER: FUKUSHIRO NUKAGA
Once a contender to be prime minister, Nukaga, 63, was appointed defence minister in 1998 but resigned after a few months in office in a procurement scandal.
Three years later, he stepped down as economics minister over a political "money for influence" scandal. Reappointed defence minister in October 2005, Nukaga is an expert in security affairs.
He upset China and South Korea after North Korea's missile tests in July 2006 by suggesting Japan should consider acquiring the military capability to strike enemy bases overseas.
FOREIGN MINISTER: NOBUTAKA MACHIMURA
Machimura, 62, has been education minister several times and, like Abe, advocates education reform to revive patriotism.
Machimura also shares Abe's goal of winning Japan a bigger say in global affairs. Last year he headed an LDP team that called for stronger national intelligence-gathering capabilities.
He is one of a group of conservative lawmakers who have urged China to remove exhibits from museums they say distort Japan's actions before and during World War Two.
ECONOMICS MINISTER: HIROKO OTA
Ota, 53, retains her post. A former economics professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, she is well-versed in economic issues and has served as director-general for the Economic Research Bureau at the Cabinet Office.
Her research includes studies on government policy such as social security, the economy and financial markets.
DEFENCE MINISTER: MASAHIKO KOMURA
Komura, 65, is a former foreign and justice minister known for his ability to blend into the background and offend few.
In a long government career, he has headed the Economic Planning Agency (EPA) and been deputy minister at both the defence and finance ministries. He heads a small LDP faction.
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY: KAORU YOSANO
Yosano, 69, has held various ministerial posts, including trade and education, and advocates fiscal reforms, including a hike in the 5 percent consumption tax.
Raising the consumption tax has long been a politically thorny issue in Japan. The last increase in 1997 was blamed for slowing the economy.
Yosano is also seen as supportive of an independent central bank, in contrast to some LDP members who have pressed the Bank of Japan to keep interest rates low to support growth.
Named to head the LDP's powerful tax panel when Abe took office last September, Yosano soon resigned citing illness and has been out of the political limelight since.
HEALTH AND WELFARE: YOICHI MASUZOE
Masuzoe, 58, is a former scholar who has outspokenly criticised Abe for refusing to step down following the LDP's drubbing in the July upper house election.
A Tokyo University graduate, fluent in French and English, Masuzoe is versed in international and domestic politics as well as welfare. He first won an upper house seat in 2001 and is a black belt in judo.
His mother suffered from dementia in the years leading up to her death and Masuzoe wrote a series of magazine articles about his experiences caring for her.
EDUCATION MINISTER: BUNMEI IBUKI
Ibuki, 69, stays in the post where he has backed Abe's policy of introducing more patriotism in schools. A former finance minister bureaucrat who briefly served in London, Ibuki was born in Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto. Ibuki has served as labour minister as well as heading the National Public Safety Commission.
LDP SECRETARY GENERAL: TARO ASO
Abe tapped close ally Aso, previously foreign minister, as LDP secretary general, the party's number-two post.
The 66-year-old veteran lawmaker has served in key cabinet jobs. Aso's grandfather, then-prime minister Shigeru Yoshida, negotiated the peace treaty ending World War Two.
Aso appeals to fellow fans of "manga" comics, but has stirred controversy with verbal blunders. A security hawk, Aso also opposed plans to allow women to succeed to the Japanese throne.
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