Katsusada Hirose will replace Osamu Watanabe as vice minister for international trade and industry on Sept. 3, officials of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said Tuesday.
The appointment of Hirose, 57, currently the head of the ministry's Machinery and Information Industries Bureau, countered earlier expectations that Tadashi Esaki, chief of the Industrial Policy Bureau, would fill the top administrative post.
Seiji Murata, 54, director general of the Minister's Secretariat, will succeed the retiring Esaki.
Shinichiro Ota, 53, director general of the Environmental Protection and Industrial Location Bureau, will take over Hirose's present post.
Hisamitsu Arai will remain as vice minister for international affairs to prepare for global trade talks under the World Trade Organization to start next year.