New defense minister will not bring Japan closer to neighbors

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet reshuffle last week has commanded much attention.

Among his new 19-strong Cabinet, 13 are members of Rebirth Japan, a conservative bipartisan group of lawmakers. These people arguably make Abe's third Cabinet the most conservative of the postwar era. Abe heads the group that was founded in 2007 to seek "a reawakening of the pride" of the Japanese people in their history and culture, with a special focus on the Imperial House.

The most controversial person sitting in Abe's new Cabinet is Tomomi Inada, who is now Japan's defense minister. Her appointment has raised eyebrows in and outside Japan for her revisionist views of her country's role in the World War II.