Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga has replaced his boss, Shinzo Abe, as prime minister after Abe stepped down due to ill health.
Suga's challenge is to make sure the 2020s are not a wasted decade.
The country is quickly racking up debts - expected to hit 268 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of this year - to cope with the pandemic.
Plus, we find out why Pakistan has the best performing stock market in Asia despite a fragile economy.
And, why are some nations facing major unrest during the post-pandemic economic recovery?
