Tokyo - Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda was expected to reshuffle his cabinet on Friday, media reports said.

The reports said Fukuda decided Thursday afternoon to reshuffle his cabinet members in a bid to boost popular support.

The prime minister's approval rating has fallen below 30 per cent in recent days, even after the expected boost as a result of hosting the Group of Eight summit in early July in Japan's northern city of Toyako.

Lawmakers within Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party have been pushing their leader to bring more of his own team into his cabinet. He inherited most of the current ministers from his predecessor, Shinzo Abe. dpa