Amid multiple scandals and dismal approval ratings, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has finally pulled the trigger on a long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle. With polling pegging his Cabinet at 35 percent (down from 58 percent in February), he hopes this will help shore up support ahead of the likely start of a special Diet session in September and by-elections for the lower house in October. Abe’s ambitious reform agenda could be in jeopardy unless he regains his footing. The Aug. 3 reshuffle focused on weeding out scandal-tainted and gaffe-prone ministers in favor of reliable veterans from Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). All of the new appointments served in previous Cabinets, and 13 of those served as ministers in the past. Two policy experts have been appointed as the minister of agriculture and the environment minister. Abe referred to the ministerial picks as results-oriented choices.