Shinji Sato, minister of international trade and industry, has finalized the new lineup of his key staffers, officials said July 3. The change in personnel includes the appointment of Osamu Watanabe, director general of the ministry's Industrial Policy Bureau, as new vice minister.

The reshuffle will take effect with the Cabinet's approval on July 11, according to the ministry. The ministry said Katsuhiro Nakagawa, director general of the Machinery and Information Industries Bureau, will be named vice minister for international affairs.

Yasuhiro Inagawa, director general of the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau, will serve as the new chief of the Natural Resource and Energy Agency. International Trade Policy chief Yasuo Hayashi will become new head of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency.

Tadashi Ezaki, director general of the Natural Resource and Energy Agency, will serve as director general of the Industrial Policy Bureau, while Katsusada Hirose, director general of the minister's secretariat, will head the Machinery and Information Industries Bureau. Takeshi Isayama, director general of the International Trade Administration Bureau, will become new chief of the International Trade Policy Bureau.

Hidehiro Konno, director general for commerce and distribution policy, will serve as director general of the International Trade Administration Bureau. Seiji Murata, director general of the Consumer Goods Industries Bureau, will be appointed director general of the minister's secretariat, while Toru Namiki, director general for technology policy coordination, will head the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau.