Japan's lower house of parliament officially appointed Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday as the country's new prime minister.
He takes over from Shinzo Abe, after easily securing the governing Liberal Democratic Party's leadership earlier this week.
Suga, the former Chief Cabinet Secretary, is known as a tough fixer rather than a charismatic leader, and has little diplomatic experience.
He is expected to keep half of the outgoing Cabinet, having pledged continuity rather than change, but he also promised to reform the system.
[Clip: Suga]
"I want to break down bureaucratic division, vested interest and blind adherence to precedent. I want to form a Cabinet that will work hard for the people."
Suga faces an economic slump, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, icy ties with South Korea and an increasing rivalry with China.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
