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Kan brings back Sengoku to gov't

TOKYO, Japan - Newly-appointed Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku enters Prime Minister Naoto Kan's office in Tokyo on March 17, 2011. Kan brought back the powerful lawmaker to the government to beef up relief efforts in the aftermath of the March 11 quake and tsunami disaster.

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Edano speaks to reporters

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's new Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Jan. 15, 2011, after appearing in a TV program. Edano replaced Yoshito Sengoku in a Cabinet shake-up the previous day.

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Japan Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's new Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano announces the lineup of Prime Minister Naoto Kan's reshuffled Cabinet at the premier's office in Tokyo on Jan. 14, 2011. Edano replaced Yoshito Sengoku.

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Japan Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 14, 2011, before his anticipated replacement in a Cabinet reshuffle later in the day.

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DPJ convention

TOKYO, Japan - Yukio Edano, acting secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, attends the ruling party's annual convention in the city of Chiba, Japan, on Jan. 13, 2011. Edano is expected to succeed Yoshito Sengoku as chief Cabinet secretary when DPJ leader and Prime Minister Naoto Kan reshuffles his Cabinet on Jan. 14, 2011.

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Japan Cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 13, 2011. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan was expected to replace Sengoku and appoint him to the post of acting president of the Democratic Party of Japan.

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Sengoku's fate in spotlight

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2011. Prime Minister Naoto Kan may possibly remove Sengoku in a Cabinet reshuffle, as a nonbinding censure motion against the top government spokesman was approved last November in the opposition-controlled House of Councillors.

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Sengoku at press conference

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku of Japan points to a reporter while taking questions during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 14, 2010. Sengoku, as the top spokesman and closest aide to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, faces the challenge of salvaging Kan's falling approval ratings.

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Kanji meaning 'open' said to characterize Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku holds a sign showing the kanji character meaning ''opening up'' or ''leading the way'' as best characterizing Japan in the year 2010 during a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 10, 2010.

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Sengoku, U.S. Ambassador Roos meet

TOKYO, Japan - U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos leaves the Japanese prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 8, 2010, after meeting Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku. Sengoku said he and Roos discussed various issues, including the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture and the WikiLeaks controversy.

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Kan's press conference

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku (L) stares at Prime Minister Naoto Kan prior to a press conference at the premier's office in Tokyo on Dec. 6, 2010.

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Kan, Sengoku at Diet session

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R) and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku talk during a House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on Dec. 3, 2010, the final day of an extra Diet session. Sengoku told reporters he will do his best in both posts -- chief Cabinet secretary and justice minister -- after saying he may concentrate on the justice minister role, amid increasing pressure from opposition parties to leave the Cabinet.

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Opposition censure motions

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at the House of Representatives Budget Committee in the Diet in Tokyo on Nov. 25, 2010. The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party said the same day it will submit censure motions to the House of Councillors on Nov. 26 against Sengoku and transport minister Sumio Mabuchi over the handling of the leak of footage of maritime collisions in disputed waters.

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Gaffe-prone Sengoku under fire

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku (L) raises his hand during a session of the upper house budget committee attended by Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Nov. 18, 2010. Sengoku, the top government spokesman, has been under fire over a series of gaffes.

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Sengoku calls SDF instrument of violence

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2010. Sengoku called Japan's Self-Defense Forces an ''instrument of violence'' during the session but later apologized and rephrased his expression as ''an organization that uses force.''

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Kan's embattled government

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R) chats with his close aide Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku during a session of the upper house budget committee on Nov. 18, 2010. Kan's government has been under fire over a series of gaffes by Cabinet members, including Sengoku, as well as its poor handling of high-profile diplomatic issues.

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Gaffe-prone Sengoku under fire

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku raises his hand during a session of the upper house budget committee on Nov. 18, 2010. Sengoku, the top government spokesman, has been under fire over a series of gaffes.

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Sengoku at parliament

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku looks unimpressed with Takeshi Maeda (L) after the head of an upper house committee erroneously called Sengoku ''prime minister'' during a session Nov. 17, 2010. The incident took place at a time when many pundits have branded the top aide to Prime Minister Naoto Kan as ''a shadow prime minister.''

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Sengoku at press conference

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku takes a reporter's question at a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Nov. 17, 2010.

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Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 11, 2010. Sengoku indicated that the head of the Japan Coast Guard should be held responsible for the posting on an Internet site of classified video footage showing collisions involving a Chinese trawler.

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Senkaku ships collision video leakage

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku commented on a suspected Internet leakage of footage of ship collisions taped by the Japan Coast Guard near the disputed Senkaku Islands at a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 5, 2010. Sengoku said leaking of such information was a grave matter.

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Anti-Japan moves in China won't affect planned Kan-Wen talks

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R) talks with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku before the opening of a House of Councillors' panel session in Tokyo on Oct. 18, 2010. Sengoku said in a press conference the same day that a series of anti-Japan demonstrations that occurred in several Chinese cities will not affect plans to organize bilateral talks between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao later this month in Hanoi.

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Gov't spokesman mum about Ozawa

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku wipes his forehead during a news conference in Tokyo on Oct. 4, 2010, after a citizens' panel decided Ichiro Ozawa, a former secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, should be indicted over a scandal involving his political funds. Sengoku, the top government spokesman, did not elaborate on how the DPJ-led government will be affected by the panel's decision on the DPJ bigwig.

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Lower house meeting on collision case

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Naoto Kan (L) and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku raise their hands to answer a question at a lower house budget committee meeting in Tokyo held Sept. 30, 2010, to discuss the case of collisions between a Chinese fishing boat and Japanese patrol vessels. Kan called China's response to the case extremely problematic.

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Japan, China at loggerheads

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 21, 2010. Sengoku denied that tourism minister Sumio Mabuchi's cancellation of talks with China's Zhu Shanzhong on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's tourism ministers' meeting in Nara was a countermeasure against China's suspension of exchanges.

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Cabinet meeting

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Naoto Kan (C) and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku (L) head for a Cabinet meeting at the premier's office on Sept. 21, 2010.

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Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2010, after retaining the post in a reshuffle of Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet the same day.

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Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku at press conference

TOKYO, Japan - Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a press conference at the premier's office in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2010, after retaining his post in a major Cabinet reshuffle conducted following Prime Minister Naoto Kan's reelection as head of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. Sengoku vowed to coordinate the work of ministries and bureaus in support of Kan.

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JAL's rehabilitation

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku (L) and transport minister Seiji Maehara attend a meeting of Cabinet ministers on rehabilitating Japan Airlines at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Aug. 31, 2010. The meeting approved a rehabilitation plan.

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FY 2011 budget to cap gov't spending at 71 tril. yen

TOKYO, Japan - (from L) Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku attend a budget meeting of Cabinet ministers at the premier's office in Tokyo on July 20, 2010. The Cabinet decided to cap the government's annual spending at 71 trillion yen for the year through March 2012.

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Spokesman denies Cabinet reshuffle before Sept.

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on July 12, 2010. Sengoku said Prime Minister Naoto Kan is unlikely to reshuffle his Cabinet until September in spite of his party's defeat in a House of Councillors election.

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Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku speaks at a press conference after officially assuming the post at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on June 8, 2010.

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Japan's new Cabinet formed ahead of looming election

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku announces members of the Cabinet by Prime Minister Naoto Kan during a press conference in Tokyo on June 8, 2010. With the upper house election expected next month, Kan has decided to retain 11 ministers out of 17 who served in Hatoyama's Cabinet.

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Japan's new Cabinet formed ahead of looming election

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku announces members of the Cabinet by Prime Minister Naoto Kan during a press conference in Tokyo on June 8, 2010. With the upper house election expected next month, Kan has decided to retain 11 ministers out of 17 who served in Hatoyama's Cabinet.

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Japan's new Cabinet formed ahead of looming election

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku announces members of the Cabinet by Prime Minister Naoto Kan during a press conference in Tokyo on June 8, 2010. With the upper house election expected next month, Kan has decided to retain 11 ministers out of 17 who served in Hatoyama's Cabinet.

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Japan's new Cabinet formed ahead of looming election

TOKYO, Japan - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku announces members of the Cabinet by Prime Minister Naoto Kan during a press conference in Tokyo on June 8, 2010. With the upper house election expected next month, Kan has decided to retain 11 ministers out of 17 who served in Hatoyama's Cabinet.

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Sengoku to be appointed as chief Cabinet secretary

TOKYO, Japan - Yoshito Sengoku speaks to reporters on June 6, 2010, at the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Sengoku is set to become chief Cabinet secretary.

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People's New Party to remain DPJ's coalition partner

TOKYO, Japan - The ruling Democratic Party of Japan's new leader, Naoto Kan (C), holds a meeting with People's New Party chief Shizuka Kamei (L) in the Diet building in Tokyo on June 4, 2010, along with DPJ lawmaker Yoshito Sengoku (R), who is expected to be tapped as chief Cabinet secretary after Kan assumes the post of prime minister. Kan and Kamei agreed to keep the two-party ruling coalition.

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Japan Pavilion opens, offers views to sustainable society

SHANGHAI, China - Japan's national strategies minister Yoshito Sengoku (C) tours the Japanese Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo on May 1, 2010, after its opening ceremony.

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Japan Pavilion opens, offers views to sustainable society

SHANGHAI, China - Japan's national strategies minister Yoshito Sengoku (3rd from R) unveils the Japanese Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo during its opening ceremony on May 1, 2010.

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Japan Pavilion opens, offers views to sustainable society

SHANGHAI, China - Japan's national strategies minister Yoshito Sengoku speaks at the opening ceremony of the Japanese Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo on May 1, 2010.

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Hatoyama visits Tokyo primary school to promote role of citizens

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (R), together with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Naoto Kan (C), and Yoshito Sengoku (L), state minister in charge of administrative and public servant system reform and national strategies, visit a primary school in Mitaka in Tokyo on Feb. 20, 2010, as part of his efforts to expand roles of citizens and non-profit organizations in education and town life. (Pool photo)

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DPJ lawmaker Edano tapped as administrative reform minister

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (R) and newly-appointed administrative reform minister Yukio Edano shake hands at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 10, 2010. Edano, who last year led a team of ruling bloc lawmakers and experts in eliminating or reviewing government programs, succeeded national policy minister Yoshito Sengoku, who had held the Cabinet post concurrently.

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DPJ lawmaker Edano tapped as administrative reform minister

TOKYO, Japan - Yukio Edano (R), a former policy chief of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo to attend an attestation ceremony, on Feb. 10, 2010. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama appointed him as new administrative reform minister, succeeding national policy minister Yoshito Sengoku, who had held the Cabinet post concurrently.

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Sengoku attends Davos economic forum

DAVOS, Switzerland - Yoshito Sengoku, Japanese national strategy minister, attends a debate at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 30, 2010. Sengoku, who took part in the session on behalf of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, criticized speculative investment activities.

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Hatoyama formally appoints Kan finance minister

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Administrative reform minister Yoshito Sengoku, Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, education minister Tatsuo Kawabata, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano pose for photos at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 7, 2010. Kan officially assumed the post of finance minister, while Sengoku and Kawabata respectively took over the post of state minister in charge of national strategy and the post in charge of science and technology policies from Kan.

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Hatoyama formally appoints Kan finance minister

TOKYO, Japan - Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan (2nd L) and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama shake hands at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 7, 2010, after Hatoyama gave Kan a letter appointing him finance minister, with administrative reform minister Yoshito Sengoku (L) and education minister Tatsuo Kawabata (R) looking on. Sengoku and Kawabata respectively took over the post of state minister in charge of national strategy and the post in charge of science and technology polices from Kan.

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Sengoku named national policy minister

TOKYO, Japan - Yoshito Sengoku, administrative reform minister, speaks to reporters at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 6, 2010. Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told Sengoku the same day to concurrently serve as minister in charge of national policy.

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Cabinet members Kan, Sengoku

TOKYO, Japan - This combination photo shows Naoto Kan (L), deputy Japanese prime minister in charge of national policy, and Yoshito Sengoku, administrative reform minister. Kan was appointed as finance minister while Sengoku was named to succeed Kan as national policy minister.

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Sengoku named national policy minister

TOKYO, Japan - Yoshito Sengoku, administrative reform minister, enters the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 6, 2010. Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told Sengoku the same day to concurrently serve as minister in charge of national policy.