Japan's incoming Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda named his Cabinet Friday, with which he hopes to bring forward a challenging post-quake recovery.

Ex-DPJ Diet affairs chief Jun Azumi was named as new finance minister and ex-DPJ policy chief Koichiro Gemba was named as new foreign minister, announced Osamu Fujimura, the new chief Cabinet secretary who serves as the top government spokesman.

Goshi Hosono was named as environment minister and he will continue to be in charge of handling the ongoing nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture.

Michihiko Kano, who was one of Noda's four rivals in the DPJ's presidential election Monday, retained his Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister post, as one of Noda's move to ensure party unity.

Former Diet affairs chief Yoshio Hachiro was named as trade minister, and Yasuo Ichikawa, chief of the upper house policy board, took the post of defense minister. Renho returned to the post of state minister in charge of administrative reform.

Motohisa Furukawa, former deputy chief Cabinet secretary, assumed the post of national strategy minister and would also serve as state minister for economic and fiscal policy.

Former education minister Tatsuo Kawabata became internal affairs and communications minister, while Hideo Hiraoka, state secretary for internal affairs and communications, became justice minister.

The Cabinet will be formally inaugurated with an attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace in the afternoon.