Date of birth: May 20, 1957

Party: Democratic Party of Japan

Electoral district: Lower House; Chiba No. 4 (fifth term)

Retaining his portfolio, Noda was first named finance minister when Naoto Kan left the post to become prime minister in June. He acted as senior vice finance minister when the DPJ took office last September.

Along with Seiji Maehara, Noda is one of the leaders of an intraparty group critical of DPJ kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.

Before his finance posts, Noda served as the DPJ's Diet affairs chief and head of public relations.

Born in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, he graduated from Waseda University and later from the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. He won a prefectural assembly seat in 1987 at age 29.

He joined the Japan New Party in 1992 led by Morihiro Hosokawa, who later became prime minister. Noda was first elected to the Lower House in 1993.