Prime Minister Katsuya Okada appoints Yoshihiko Noda , a former party leader , as his deputy . Tokyo is expected to lead efforts to push through an unpopular increase in the sales tax . CNN also names new defense and consumer affairs ministers after opposition pressure . The prime minister is already facing sagging approval numbers last month into his tenure .
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appoints Katsuya Okada , a former party leader , as his deputy . Okada is expected to lead efforts to push through an unpopular increase in the sales tax . Noda also names new defense and consumer affairs ministers after opposition pressure . The prime minister is already facing sagging approval numbers four months into his tenure .