Japan's parliament on Monday started a special Diet session to elect the country's new prime minister.

As the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) controls both chambers, 64-year-old Fumio Kishida who was chosen as the new LDP leader last week is expected to secure a majority of votes of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors and become the new prime minister of Japan.

"This is the real starting point. I will go forth with a strong sense of determination, with a strong resolution," he said at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo in the morning.

After the special Diet session, Kishida will name his new Cabinet, tasked to promote economic recovery while keeping COVID-19 infections under control. Then, the new premier will be formally inaugurated in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace and hold a press conference in the evening.