The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is betting Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's plan to shuffle his Cabinet will win back public support that has fallen by half since he took office, a lawmaker and former defense chief said.

A comprehensive shakeup would give Fukuda the power to shape his own agenda, Seishiro Eto said in a recent interview in Tokyo. Fukuda inherited 13 of 17 ministers from his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, who abruptly quit in September.