Japan's two-year stint as a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council officially began Friday, marking the country's first participation in the global organization's top body in five years.
In 2016, which in December will see the 60th anniversary of Japan's entry into the United Nations, Tokyo plans to push for reforms to the council that better reflect the world's contemporary realities, which it hopes will eventually open the doors to Japan and a handful of other nations becoming a permanent members.
Tokyo will also be involved in the selection process for the successor to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose term expires at the year's en. Although the eral Assembly OKs the appointment, the Security Council effectively has the final say in determining the U.N. chief's replacement.