Japan is one of 14 countries that have been elected by secret ballot to sit on the 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council, marking the fourth time it will join the group charged with strengthening and protecting human rights around the globe.
Japan, one of the candidates from the Asia-Pacific region's four open seats, received 177 votes Friday, second only to China, which received 180, but followed by Iraq with 173 and Saudi Arabia with 152.
Before the election, Human Rights Watch, an organization that monitors rights in some 90 countries, expressed concerns about the records of China, Saudi Arabia and Iraq and the fact that all four were guaranteed to be elected.