Japan has elected its first female prime minister after Sanae Takaichi forged an 11th-hour coalition deal.
Japan's fifth premier in as many years will lead a minority government and has a bulging in-tray, not least a scheduled visit by US President Donald Trump next week.
The lower house of parliament appointed Ms Takaichi, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, as prime minister after she unexpectedly won a slim majority in a first round of voting.
She received 237 votes in the lower house election to choose the next premier, topping the majority of the 465-seat chamber.
The upper house then voted in her favour, although in a runoff after Ms Takaichi fell short of a majority. She will formally take office after meeting the emperor later.
On 4 October, the former heavy metal drummer became head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost non-stop for decades but is losing support.
Six days later, the Komeito party, uncomfortable about Ms Takaichi's conservative views and an LDP slush fund scandal, quit their coalition.
This forced Ms Takaichi to form an alliance with the reformist, right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which was signed yesterday evening.
JIP wants to lower the consumption tax rate on food to zero, abolish corporate and organisational donations, and reduce the number of MPs.
Ms Takaichi has pledged to "make Japan's economy stronger and reshape Japan as a country that can be responsible for future generations".
She has said that she hopes to raise awareness about women's health struggles and has spoken candidly about her own experience with menopause.
But she opposes revising a 19th-century law requiring married couples to share the same surname, and wants the imperial family to stick to male-only succession.
Abenomics
Details of Japan's mooted $500 billion in investments as part of its trade deal with Washington are unclear.
Mr Trump also wants Tokyo to stop Russian energy imports and boost defence spending.
"I'd like her to be a prime minister who can clearly say 'No' when needed," one pensioner, told AFP.
Ms Takaichi's other many challenges include reversing the decline of Japan's population and injecting some vim into the flatlining economy.
Being in a minority in both houses of parliament, the new coalition will need support from other parties to push through legislation.
Ms Takaichi has in the past backed aggressive monetary easing and expanded government spending, echoing her mentor, former premier Shinzo Abe.
She previously said that "Japan is completely looked down on by China", and that Tokyo must "address the security threat" posed by Beijing, while calling for more security cooperation with Taiwan.
But she has since toned down her rhetoric, and last week stayed away from the Yasukuni shrine - she has been a regular visitor before - honouring Japan's war dead.
Ms Takaichi will also be under pressure to restore the fortunes of the LDP after a string of poor election results that cost former prime minister Shigeru Ishiba his job.
Smaller parties gaining support include the populist Sanseito, which calls immigration a "silent invasion".
