Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Newly elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Yoshihide Suga (C) is applauded after being elected as Japan's prime minister by the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Yoshihide Suga was formally elected as Japan's prime minister by parliament’s lower house on Wednesday, per AP.
Why it matters: Suga is the first new leader of the world's third-largest economy in nearly eight years, after Shinzo Abe officially resigned from the role earlier in the day.
The big picture: Suga, Japan's former chief cabinet secretary was last Monday elected the new head of the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party after winning 377 of the 535 available votes from lawmakers and regional representatives, per Bloomberg.
- He was an Abe ally and favorite to take over from him.
- The 71-year-old is six years older than Abe, who announced his resignation late last month due to chronic ulcerative colitis.
- Suga, the son of a schoolteacher and a strawberry farmer from Japan's rural north, is a rare leading lawmaker not from a political elite family, the New York Times notes.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.