First Hashimoto Cabinet

First Hashimoto Cabinet
82nd Cabinet of Japan
Prime Minister Ryūtarō Hashimoto and cabinet at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on January 11, 1996
Date formed	January 11, 1996
Date dissolved	November 7, 1996
People and organisations
Head of state	Emperor Akihito
Head of government	Ryūtarō Hashimoto
Deputy head of government	Wataru Kubo
Member party	LDP–JSP–NPS Coalition
Status in legislature	Coalition majority
Opposition party	New Frontier Party
Opposition leader	Ichirō Ozawa
History
Predecessor	Murayama Cabinet
Successor	Second Hashimoto Cabinet

The First Hashimoto Cabinet was formed in January 1996 under the leadership of Ryutaro Hashimoto, following the resignation of Tomiichi Murayama as Prime Minister of Japan and head of the coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan Socialist Party and New Party Sakigake. The smaller Socialist party relinquished the leadership of the government to the LDP, which was the largest party in the Diet and Hashimoto (LDP President since September 1995) assumed the premiership, becoming the first LDP Prime Minister since August 1993.^[1][2]

The three-party coalition continued, although all ministers from the Murayama Cabinet were replaced. The Socialists renamed themselves as the Social Democratic Party and Secretary-general Wataru Kubo became Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.^[3] The cabinet lasted until November 1996, when it was dissolved following the 1996 general election and replaced with the Second Hashimoto Cabinet.^[4]