Shigeru Ishiba was confirmed as Japan's next prime minister by parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for him to officially unveil his cabinet as he seeks to heal party divisions and prepare for an October 27 snap election.
The 67-year-old former defense minister won a close-fought contest last week to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Ishiba is expected to hold a late press conference on Tuesday after the Emperor formally appoints him and his cabinet in a ceremony at Tokyo's Imperial Palace.
Now in power, he must quell simmering anger over rising living costs and his scandal-plagued party, and navigate a volatile security environment in East Asia fuelled by an increasingly assertive China and nuclear-armed North Korea.