Outspoken, reform-minded lawmaker Taro Kono is back in Cabinet as digital minister after a reshuffle earlier this week, and his appointment is garnering a level of attention from the public befitting one of the nation's most well-known politicians.

Already on Thursday, Kono responded to a tweet that outlined his new task as fixing "all the 'analogue' things in Japan that he complains about" by writing, "There is no analogue thing left in our remarkably advanced society. Oops, my fax machine is jamming!" — with his reply drawing a number of reactions.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, for his part, said it was Kono's "ability to get things done and move things forward" that made him the right fit for the role.