Fujimori loses bid for Japan parliament seat

TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori lost his long-distance bid to win a seat in Japan's parliament, Japanese media said on Monday.

Fujimori, an ethnic Japanese, carried out his campaign for the seat in Japan's upper house from house arrest in Chile. Peru has been fighting to bring him to trial on charges of human rights abuses and corruption.

The 69-year-old Fujimori, who has dual citizenship in Peru and Japan, was backed by the tiny opposition People's New Party in his campaign, which some Japanese human rights activists condemned as a tactic to avoid trial.

"I could not campaign and the result was unfortunate," Kyodo news agency quoted Fujimori as saying in Chile.

"Even though I was not elected, my feelings towards Japan have not changed. It was a good experience."

Media reports said Fujimori's party, made up mostly of ruling party rebels, had won two seats but that he was not elected.

Fujimori had offered to use skills gained during 10 years as Peruvian president to help Japan solve its problems.

"Japan is facing a lot of problems at the moment," he said in a campaign video recorded in Chile.

"North Korea, Asian diplomacy, the gap between rich and poor. As a specialist on terrorism and a Peruvian president, I will put my experience to good use and solve these problems without fail."