and prime minister -- the prime minister named toshihiro nikai chair of the ldp's decision-make body. he is a lawmaker and has ties with new komeito. abe knows that having an influential position in a key post in the party will benefit his administration. i think. >> that was our senior political commentator. >>> japan's cabinet reshuffle will also affect the business world. ai uchida has the details. >> prime minister abe has made it his mission to reare survive the economy and drag the country out of deflation. investors have driven up the nikkei by more than 50% since he returned to the prime minister's office and consumer prices have been rising for 14 months in a row but abe has been confronting new challenges since he raised the consumption tax in april. he's seen consumer spending fall and economic growth slump. nhk world's kyoto fujita has more. >> reporter: government officials say that the economy continues to recover at a moderate pace. but consumers are less optimistic. many people say they have been feeling the pinch. they've seen prices going up and up. people watched as