TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who also heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), reshuffled the party's executive lineup on Wednesday.

In her first reshuffle since taking the helm of the ruling party last October, Takaichi retained most of the LDP's executive members as she seeks to maintain continuity ahead of a packed legislative agenda through the end of the year, Kyodo News reported.

In key positions, former Prime Minister Taro Aso remained LDP vice-president, and Shunichi Suzuki kept his post as LDP secretary general. Meanwhile, Diet affairs committee chief Hiroshi Kajiyama replaced Haruko Arimura as head of the LDP's decision-making General Council.

Among other appointments, Hideki Murai, a former deputy chief cabinet secretary, succeeded Hiroshi Kajiyama as the LDP's Diet affairs chief. Junichi Ishii, the party's secretary-general in the upper house, was replaced by Kazuhiko Aoki.

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Kyodo News said Ishii has been seen as on poor terms with the prime minister amid legislative impasses with the opposition in the chamber.

Japanese media analyses suggested that Takaichi's latest reshuffle is aimed primarily at maintaining her power base within the party and securing another term as LDP president in next autumn's party leadership election.

In a recent report, the Asahi Shimbun pointed out that Takaichi has no faction of her own within the party and received backing from Aso's faction in last October's LDP presidential race. Aso and his brother-in-law Suzuki are among the key pillars underpinning the Takaichi administration. Should Takaichi disregard Aso, running her government would likely become difficult.

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Takaichi is also set to reshuffle her cabinet on Thursday. Japanese media previously reported that Hiroshi Nakatsuka, secretary-general of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), is all but certain to join the cabinet.

Analysts said that with a JIP member joining Takaichi's cabinet, the LDP-JIP ruling coalition will shift from cooperation outside the cabinet to cooperation within it.