Senior Vice Minister Tetsuo Kutsukake of the Environment Ministry on Friday became the first vice minister to attend and speak in a Cabinet meeting.
Kutsukake attended on behalf of Environment Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, who was absent with a cold, to brief other ministers on a set of guidelines regarding the selection of environmentally friendly products for use in government offices. The guidelines were formally adopted at the meeting.
"It seems this is the first time a person in my position has attended and spoken at a Cabinet meeting," Kutsukake said. "I think this is one way in which political leadership is realized as a result of administrative reform."
The senior vice minister system was adopted in the political reform and administrative reshuffle on Jan. 6.
In the past, parliamentary vice ministers attended Cabinet gatherings but never spoke, ministry officials said.