Justice Minister Masako Mori has pledged to prioritize the protection of human rights and support services for victims of crime in her new role.
The lawyer-turned-lawmaker with 25 years of experience in the legal field said protecting the rights of children, in particular, would be a focal point of her tenure.
Mori assumed her post amid criticism of existing government measures to prevent child abuse following a series of cases where children were suspected of being fatally abused by their parents.