With Thursday's shake-up of his Cabinet done and dusted, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has delivered an apparent message to the public and political heavyweights in Nagatacho, the heart of Japan's central government.
The message: no more scandals, no more unscrupulous politicians and only political veterans with proven track records, observers said.
"It's a stable, heavyweight lineup," a high-ranking government official close to Abe said Wednesday when asked about his new Cabinet.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.