Mr Aso handily won the vote in the lower house, where his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds the majority.
The upper house had voted in favor of opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa. However, under
Mr Aso, 68, was officially declared the prime minister after a meeting between representatives from the two bodies. He succeeds Yasuo Fukuda, who resigned amid plummeting approval ratings after less than a year in office. Mr Fukuda and his Cabinet stepped down ahead of the vote on September 24.
The new prime minister inherits an office that is expected to confront several pressing challenges immediately. Foremost among them is the country's sagging economy.
Mr Aso advocates an increase in public spending and tax cuts to stimulate the economy. His LDP is also expected to call a snap election as early as next month, in the hope that his name-recognition will help the ruling party retain control of parliament.
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