Emperor of Japan Naruhito, has approved the composition of the new government of Japan, which is headed by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. An official ceremony to mark the occasion was held on Tuesday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Kyodo news agency reported.

In Ishiba's government, the positions of Foreign Minister and Defense Minister were filled by former Defense Ministers Takeshi Iwaya and Gen Nakatani. Only two individuals retained their positions: Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Cabinet Secretary General, the "second man" in the government, who was Ishiba's rival in the election for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Tetsuo Saito, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, who represents the Komeito party. Another former rival of Ishiba, Katsunobu Kato, was appointed as Minister of Finance.

13 members of the Government out of 20 were appointed to ministerial positions for the first time. In the government, two women hold the posts of Minister of Low Birth Rate Issues and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

On Tuesday, by a majority of voice, both chambers of the Japanese parliament elected Shigeru Ishiba as the new Prime Minister of Japan, the 102nd in the country's history.

For more on "who is who" read the publication Kyodo news.

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