Japan's very own comeback kid - prime minister Shinzo Abe.
The 58-year-old grandson of a former prime minister swept back to power on Wednesday - five years after abruptly resigning as premier in the wake of a scandal-hit one-year term.
He told reporters earlier that he wanted to learn from his previous experiences and aim for a stable government.
Abe was elected by both houses of parliament after his right wing Liberal Democratic Party surged back to power in a December 16 election.
He takes over from Yoshihiko Noda, who was forced to dissolve Parliament's lower house in November for the snap poll.
Abe has promised aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan and big fiscal spending to fight deflation and make Japanese exports more competitive.
He has also vowed to take a tough stance in a territorial row with Beijing over a disputed group of islands in the East China Sea.
