Having been forced to deal with a string of disputes ranging from North Korea's missile tests to territorial disputes and rows over history, Shinzo Abe, newly elected head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is stressing the need for a government that can make decisions quickly and decisively.
Abe, currently serving as chief Cabinet secretary, has already said he wants to shake up the structure of the Cabinet.
"I need to build a system in which the prime minister takes the lead and the Cabinet supports him firmly and strongly," Abe said in an interview earlier this month. "As politicians, we've got to get back the initiative from bureaucrats and move forward with policies that we have promised to the people."