German President Horst Köhler said Monday on a visit to Japan that resistance to efforts to enlarge the United Nations Security Council, where Tokyo and Berlin are vying for seats, was unsurprising. "Those reforms always encounter resistance," the president told reporters. "It is important to develop a good argument." Germany's bid has been criticized by Italy, which would become the biggest player in the European Union without a permanent seat on the Security Council if the Germans were successful. Köhler is visiting Japan to launch the "Year of Germany," aimed at promoting cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries. He will visit the World Exposition in central Aichi prefecture on Tuesday.