MR Ryutaro Hashimoto (5) was elected Prime Minister of Japan yesterday, replacing Mr Tomiichi Murayama at the head of a coalition government likely to face an arduous political tenure.
The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the largest force in the coalition, was elected as the nation's 53rd prime minister on 288 votes in the 511 seat lower house after the formal resignation of socialist Mr Murayama.
Mr Hashimoto replaced the entire Murayama cabinet, forcing the tough post of Finance Minister on Mr Wataru Kubo (66), a senior member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), at a time when the government is under mounting pressure over the nation's bad loan problem and stagnant economy.
I will pursue necessary reform with an unswerving resolve and under a strong leadership," Mr Hashimoto said in a statement adopted in a midnight meeting of the new cabinet.
I take it upon myself to rebuild a vital and confident society in Japan at a time of growing confusion," he added.
Mr Yukihiko Ikeda (58), a former defence chief, was named foreign minister. The LDP stalwart later said he would proceed with plans to cut US bases in Okinawa after the rape of a 12 year old girl for which three US soldiers are on trial.
The new Defence Agency chief, Mr Hideo Usui (57) will also have to wrestle with Japan US security relations, to be jointly restated when President Clinton visits in April.
Mr Shunpei Tsukahara (48), took over Mr Hashimoto's old job of Minister for International Trade and Industry. While he is unlikely to have the battle his predecessor fought with Washington over access to the car market, a weak economy and high unemployment will be testing.
Mr Shusei Tanaka, a senior member of New Party Sakigake, was named new chief of the Economic Planning Agency and faces similar problems.
Mr Hashimoto's victory marked the first time the LDP has been in the prime minister's office since being toppled at the polls in mid 1993 after a string of scandals that ended 38 years of uninterrupted rule.
His administration is expected to face strong pressure for an early general election.
The opposition has already vowed to focus its attack in parliament on the government's decision to use billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to clear up bad loans held by failed housing loan companies.
But the coalition wants to ensure the smooth passage of the budget for the year to March 1997 as well as gain time to prepare for elections, which are not due until the middle of next year.
The opposition New Frontier Party put forward its leader, Mr Ichiro Ozawa, to be prime minister. He got 167 votes.
The former LDP chief is emerging as a viable alternative and is pressing for snap polls.
Among other key appointments, Mr Hashimoto named former trade minister, Mr Seiroku Kajiyama, as chief Cabinet Secretary, a politically important post that includes the role of top government spokesman as well as cabinet coordinator.
Mr Mikio Okuda, an LDP member, became the new Education Minister, and will be responsible for religious issues involving the Aum Supreme Truth sect, charged with murder in last year's sarin gas attacks.
The Aum issue will also dog the only woman appointed to cabinet, Ms Ritsuko Nagao (62), a former elite bureaucrat in social welfare who was drawn from outside parliament.
The new Justice Minister is likely to have a hard time in parliament as a heated debate is expected over an anti subversion law that targets the Aum sect, members of which are standing trial over the gas attack on the Tokyo subway that killed 11 people and injured more than 5,500.
Mr Ozawa's opposition, backed by Japan's biggest Buddhist group, is fiercely opposed to any plan to tighten state control of religious groups, but Mr Hashimoto is counting on that as his achilles heel in the eyes of the public.
Early congratulations to Mr Hashimoto came from China, which also took the opportunity to call on the new administration to take a correct line on Japanese wartime atrocities, which previous leaders have fudged.
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr Chen Jian, stressed the importance of the future government's policy on atrocities by Japanese troops in the second World War a subject that has consistently shadowed relations between Tokyo and Beijing.
Seoul, too expressed hope that Mr Hashimoto, a nationalist who has acknowledged Japan's wartime aggression but stopped short of a full apology, would atone. President Kim Young Sam of South Korea sent a personal message to Mr Hashimoto, saying his inauguration should mark "a turning point in our practical cooperation."