Shuichi Goto appointed MAFF Secretary as Keiko Anno steps down

As of October 15, the government appointed Shuichi Goto as Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and relieved Keiko Yasuno of her duties upon her request. This series of personnel changes was publicized in the personnel changes section (Cabinet) of the Official Gazette (Issue No. 1815) dated October 26. The same Gazette also includes Supreme Court judicial appointments, such as the appointment of Kiyokazu Yamashiro as President of the Yamaguchi District Court, as well as the mandatory retirement of two judges.

The Official Gazette is the national government’s official journal. Appointments and dismissals of secretaries to ministers issued by the Cabinet are listed in the personnel changes section using phrases such as “appoint” or “relieve of office upon request.” The Secretary to the Minister is a position that assists the respective minister in political affairs and serves as a coordination window inside and outside the ministry; changes are publicized at key milestones of administration. In this instance, the effective date of the order was October 15, while the publication in the Gazette occurred 11 days later on October 26. The Gazette dated October 13 also publicized the appointments of secretaries to the ministers of Internal Affairs and Communications, Justice, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Environment.

Secretary Personnel Changes at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Shuichi Goto Takes Office

The contents listed in the personnel changes section (Cabinet) of the Official Gazette are as follows:

• Shuichi Goto is appointed as Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
• Keiko Yasuno is relieved of the position of Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries upon her request.
• The effective date for both individuals is listed collectively as “the above as of October 15.”

Kiyokazu Yamashiro Appointed President of Yamaguchi District Court, Concurrent Appointment as Family Court President

Regarding the personnel changes of the Supreme Court, the following orders were publicized for Kiyokazu Yamashiro:

• Appointed as Judge of the Yamaguchi District Court.
• Appointed as President of the Yamaguchi District Court.
• Concurrently appointed as Judge of the Yamaguchi Family Court.
• Appointed as President of the Yamaguchi Family Court.
• Appointed as Judge of the Yamaguchi Summary Court.
• Designated as the person in charge of judicial administration affairs at the Yamaguchi Summary Court.

The President of a District Court is a position that oversees the judicial administration of the court; it is common for the concurrent appointment as President of the Family Court and Judge of the Summary Court, as well as the designation as the administrator of Summary Court affairs, to be issued together.

Two Judges Retire at Mandatory Age, Conferment of Honors Issued

In the same personnel changes section, the mandatory retirement of judges and the conferment of honors were publicized.

• Yukiya Hasebe, Judge and Summary Court Judge, retired from his primary position as Judge on October 14, and consequently retired from his concurrent position as Summary Court Judge.
• Shinichiro Sumiyama, Judge and Summary Court Judge, similarly retired on October 15.
• Regarding the conferment of honors, Eiichi Morikawa was awarded the Junior Fourth Rank, and Tetsuzo Hori was awarded the Senior Fifth Rank.

Diet Matters and Withdrawal of Resident Tax-Related Bill in the Same Gazette

In addition to personnel changes, the Official Gazette includes Diet matters, and the following was recorded as an action dated October 22.

• The House of Representatives, in committee, granted permission for the withdrawal of the Bill on Measures to be Taken Concerning Individual Resident Taxes to Address the Increase in the Burden of Individual Resident Taxes Exceeding Wage Increases (submitted by Yoshihiro Suzuki and three others, House Bill No. 31 of the 221st Diet session).
• On the same day, the House of Councillors received a notice of withdrawal from the House of Representatives stating that permission had been granted in committee to withdraw the said bill.

The replacement of the Minister’s Secretary, who plays a core role in the political administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, directly impacts Diet responses and coordination with related organizations regarding food security and agricultural policy. In courts within Yamaguchi Prefecture, the appointment of the President of the District Court and the retirement of judges coincide, and the execution system of judicial administration will begin operating with a new lineup.

Source: Official Gazette (Main Paper No. 1815) dated October 26, 2026, Personnel Changes (Cabinet/Supreme Court), Diet Matters, Conferment of Ranks and Decorations.