Emperor Naruhito meets new PM at Imperial Palace

Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday at the Imperial Palace.

Suga,71, was elected by Parliament earlier in the day as Japan's new Prime Minister, two days after he succeeded Abe as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Suga was elected to the lower house in 1996 at the age of 47, a late start compared to political heirs like Abe.

He has said his top priorities as the new Prime Minister will be fighting the coronavirus and turning around a Japanese economy battered by the pandemic.

He has also repeatedly praised Abe's diplomacy and economic policies when asked about what he would like to accomplish as Prime Minister, and his vision of a future Japan remains unclear.

Suga was a loyal supporter of Abe since Abe's first stint as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007.

He went on to help Abe return to power in 2012 and become Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister.