Amid growing populist sentiment and public discontent with the ruling coalition, Japan’s far-right fringe group Sanseito surprised everyone by winning 14 seats in Sunday’s upper house elections.
The party, which ran on a “Japanese First” platform, earned support thanks to its tough immigration policies, tax cut plans, and social reform commitments. After holding just one seat since 2022, Sanseito currently has 15 seats in the upper house, which has 248 members. The party still has three seats in the lower chamber, which is more powerful.
Under the leadership of 47-year-old English instructor and former grocery manager Sohei Kamiya, Sanseito has mostly established itself on social media. With more than 400,000 followers, the party’s official YouTube channel has more than three times the number of members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the largest following of any political party in Japan.
Sanseito’s ascent coincides with the loss of the upper house majority for Komeito, the coalition partner and LDP of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Last October’s lower house elections had already dealt the ruling bloc a serious blow, making it more and more dependent on opposition backing.
In a post-election interview with Nippon Television, Kamiya stated, “The phrase ‘Japanese First’ was meant to express rebuilding Japanese people’s livelihoods by resisting globalism.” “I’m not advocating for a total ban on foreigners or for all foreigners to leave Japan.”
However, the party has come under fire for its discriminatory and xenophobic campaign language, which includes threats of an immigration “silent invasion.” Last year, the number of foreign-born people in Japan hit a record 3.8 million, making up only 3% of the country’s overall population, significantly lower than that of the US and Europe.
In spite of this, the immigration debate has regained political momentum. Ishiba’s administration established a new task force to address suspected crimes perpetrated by foreign nationals just days prior to the vote. Analysts interpret the LDP’s pledge to attain “zero illegal foreigners” as an attempt to counteract Sanseito’s increasing power.
Political analysts claim that Sanseito has capitalized on the growing dissatisfaction of the populace over economic stagnation, price increases, and a depreciating yen, all of which have raised living expenses for residents while increasing Japan’s appeal to international tourists.
“The whole populist and anti-foreign sentiment has made Sanseito the talk of the town, especially here in America,” stated Joshua Walker, president of the Japan Society in New York. “It reflects the LDP’s shortcomings more than Sanseito’s strengths.”
At just 7%, immigration was ranked joint sixth among voter worries in NHK’s pre-election polls. Anxiety over skyrocketing rice prices, which have doubled in the last year, came in second, followed by social security and the nation’s dwindling birthrate, which were mentioned by 29% of respondents.
Kamiya has attempted to modify his party’s image in spite of its extreme stances. In an effort to increase Sanseito’s appeal beyond its core base of young men, he ran a number of female candidates during the campaign. Saya is a pop singer from Tokyo who was one of the winners.
Kamiya is still a contentious character, though. He made headlines in 2022 when he suggested the Japanese monarch should take concubines, a suggestion he later withdrew. He came under fire more recently for saying that laws promoting gender equality were a mistake that deterred women from becoming parents.
Kamiya claimed in a previous interview with Reuters that he was inspired by the “bold political style” of former US President Donald Trump. Sanseito has also been likened to far-right European movements, such as the UK’s Reform Party and Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Kamiya stated intends to work with other small opposition parties to strengthen the populist right after the election, ruling out any partnership with the LDP. He declared, “We are progressively growing our numbers and meeting people’s expectations.” “I think our policies will finally become a reality by establishing a strong organization and winning 50 or 60 seats.”
The emergence of Sanseito highlights how Japan’s political environment is changing, with fringe actors finding fresh traction due to economic uncertainty and dissatisfaction with mainstream parties.
