He was appointed Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on 26 September 2006 as a part of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's first cabinet. In this position, he promoted the controversial revision of the Fundamental Law of Education.
On September 26, 2006, he was appointed Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology within Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's initial cabinet. During his tenure, he advocated for the contentious alteration of the Fundamental Law of Education.