Following Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan's resignation last Friday, Japan's ruling party has picked its finance minister, Yoshihiko Noda, as its new leader, bringing him a step closer to take over the position as the nation's next prime minister. Parliament will vote today to come to a decision of whether Noda will be the country's sixth prime minister in five years. With the Democratic Party holding a majority in parliament, Noda is expected to be elected as the man to do the job. Analysts say that the successor will have to tackle a number of issues, including the nuclear crisis, the rise of yen, and the soaring health and social security costs in the country.