Jack Carty will start a World Cup game for the first time with Joe Schmidt handing him the responsibility to run Ireland's game against Japan.
As promised, Schmidt has freshened up the line-up for Saturday's clash in Shizuoka, with four personnel changes from the team that beat Scotland in their Pool A opener last Sunday.
Carty, who replaces Johnny Sexton after he took a bang to the leg in that 27-3 victory, came off the bench in Yokoahama, as did Chris Farrell.
The Connacht no 10's first Test came in the penultimate World Cup warm-up against Wales on August 31.
Rob Kearney and Keith Earls are making their first appearance of the tournament after injuries prevented them from training fully from the start of last week.
Again, Schmidt has preferred those who have been able to train fully during the six-day turnaround and, with the need to get game time into Joey Carbery, he is named as Carty's back-up against the Brave Blossoms, with Sexton left out completely for the clash with the host nation.
There will be an even shorter turnaround for the game with Russia next week - just five days - and the Ireland may decide to keep Sexton under wraps.
All four changes changes are in the backline, with Farrell replacing Bundee Aki - as he did in the first half of Yokohama, and he will again slot in at no 12 in partnership with Garry Ringrose.
Kearney resumes his usual full-back berth in place of Jordan Larmour, who impressed there against the Scots, and Earls returns to the wing in place of Andrew Conway, who was also outstanding.
In the pack, Jack Conan was pencilled in for a start at no 8, with CJ Stander moving to the blindside flanker role, and so Stander was going to wear no 6 instead of no 8.
However Conan was injured in training just before the team announcement this morning and so Stander remains at no 8 in an unchanged pack.
Like Aki, Peter O'Mahony passed his HIA 2 and 3 at the start of the week and the Munster man plays again.
Japan's Tonga-born winger Lomano Lemeki predicted: "I think we'll win 33-26. Why? Because we train hard, and Sexton is not 100 percent".
IRELAND: R Kearney, K Earls, G Ringrose, C Farrell, J Stockdale, J Carty, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, T Furlong, I Henderson, J Ryan, P O'Mahony, J van der Flier, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Cronin, Kilcoyne, Porter, Beirne, Ruddock, McGrath, Carbery, Larmour.
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