It comes as no surprise that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who has been calling for unity within the Democratic Party of Japan, formed a Cabinet based not only on allies but lawmakers from various other factions.
But the question is: Can Noda and his "well-balanced" Cabinet offer a silver lining and finally put the country on track to recover from the March 11 disasters and ensuing nuclear crisis?
In addition to reconstructing disaster-hit areas, Noda's other challenges include combating the adverse impact of the rising yen and overcoming deflation.