Tokyo takes a non-permanent seat of the council, in charge of ensuring international peace and security, for a record 12th time since it became a member of the United Nations in 1956 following its previous 2016-2017 term, according to Kyodo News.
The five permanent members, all of which are nuclear powers, also include the United States, Britain, and France.
Japan has long expressed its ambition to become a permanent member of a reformed Security Council, along with countries such as Germany, India, and Brazil.
The world's third largest economy won an annual election in June at the General Assembly, consisting of 193 countries, for five out of the 10 non-permanent seats of the Security Council along with Mozambique, Ecuador, Switzerland, and Malta.
The five nations joined Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates, replacing India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway.
In a speech at the General Assembly in New York in September, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan, as a Security Council member, intends to "take action to strengthen the rule of law in the international community" by listening "not only to the big voices but also being attentive to the small voices."
RHM/PR