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Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Japan's quiet reckoning with fringe xenophobia and immigration anxiety
Sanseito party supporters raise their fists during the Sanseito's election campaign tour in Tokyo on July 19. The issue of foreigners in Japan was a hot topic in Sunday's Upper House election . It was a race where the populist right-wing Sanseito party, running on a Japan First agenda, emerged as one of the biggest winners with 14 more seats. The lead up to the election saw mass media fuel discussion of the controversial issue of foreigners. But xenophobia did not win. Parties in favour of immigration, like the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, maintained their 38 seats in the Upper House election.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Far-right party emerges as fourth-largest opposition force in Japan
Sanseito, a far-right nationalist group founded just four years ago, walked away from Sunday's upper house election with 14 seats, a surprising leap from the single seat it held since 2022. It became the fourth-largest opposition force in the 248-seat chamber, behind the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Nippon Ishin no Kai. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered a major setback in October's lower house election, as loyal voters voiced anger over corruption scandals and rising costs. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is struggling to restore trust, and his minority government has had to make compromises with the opposition to pass laws. Alongside food shortages and soaring rice prices, Ishiba also faces pressure from US President Donald Trump's tariff demands. Angry voters are now turning to new, radical parties pushing an anti-immigration and anti-diversity agenda. While Sanseito fell short of its goal of securing 20 seats — the threshold required to submit budget proposals — it now holds enough seats to introduce nonspending bills in the Upper House, which only need 10 votes. Launched in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanseito first gained traction on YouTube with a flurry of anti-vaccine and anti-mask videos. The party's YouTube channel has over 460,000 subscribers. Its message soon shifted to a broader 'Japanese First' platform, warning of the impact of tourism and an increase in foreigners in the country. The number of foreign residents in Japan hit a record 3.8 million in 2024, with tourist arrivals reaching nearly 37 million, according to the National Tourism Organisation. These figures, though still small compared to the overall population, have become a focal point of voter unease. As reported by Japan Times, party leader Sohei Kamiya has consistently denied that the party's platform is xenophobic. 'The notion that people who want to discriminate and kick foreigners out (of Japan) are flocking to Sanseito is, I think, a little wrong. We aren't that kind of party,' he said, noting that the slogan is about 'standing up against globalism and protecting the lives of Japanese citizens.' However, Sanseito's seeks to limit the number of foreign workers and visitors, capping foreign residents at 5% of the population in any municipality, tightening naturalisation and residency rules and banning naturalised citizens from holding public office. While far-right parties have historically struggled to gain lasting traction in Japan's political system, Sunday's results suggest a potential shift. According to the party, around 1,400 people attended a Saturday morning rally in Saitama, with an estimated 20,000 turning out for the final event in Tokyo that evening. Nonetheless, Sanseito's rise has not come without pushback. Protesters have shadowed party rallies, holding placards that read 'There is no first or second to humankind' and 'Japanese First is discrimination.' 'Japan will become a colony' A former member of the LDP, Kamiya lost his 2012 election bid despite then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's support. He later founded Sanseito and was elected to a seat in the upper house in 2022. A former Self-Defence Force reservist, he has been open about drawing inspiration from Trump. 'Under globalism, multinational companies have changed Japan's policies for their own purposes,' Kamiya declared at a recent rally. 'If we fail to resist this foreign pressure, Japan will become a colony.' He also sparked backlash for opposing gender equality policies and suggesting women should focus on motherhood, media outlets reported. When asked about his appeal to male voters, he claimed it might be because he is 'hot-blooded,' adding, 'that resonates more with men.'
3 days ago
- Politics
Japanese Opposition Leader Noda Vows to Pursue Change of Govt
News from Japan Politics Jul 21, 2025 02:50 (JST) Tokyo, July 20 (Jiji Press)--Japanese opposition leader Yoshihiko Noda expressed an intention to pursue a change of government as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition is struggling to maintain its majority in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, in Sunday's election. Some within Noda's Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan may push for an opposition-led coalition to replace the Ishiba administration. Noda regarded the Upper House election as an important step toward taking over the reins of government in the next election for the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber. He plans to ramp up his attack on the ruling coalition. "The prime minister should accept the no that the public said to him," Noda said on television Sunday, adding, "We need to consider how to create an alternative to the Ishiba administration." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Japan heads to polls for critical election for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
Japanese voters headed to the polls on Sunday to cast ballots for seats in the parliament's upper chamber, in an election that could put Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition on rocky ground. The election is for half of the 248 seats in the smaller of the two parliamentary houses. Ishiba has said he wants a simple majority of 125 seats, meaning his coalition, which includes his Liberal Democratic Party, would need to add 50 seats to the 75 seats it currently holds. Before the election, his coalition held 141 seats, but local media predict stiff losses for the prime minister's coalition. Ishiba's coalition lost the lower chamber in October, following corruption scandals and difficulty delivering legislative solutions to economic problems facing the country. Ahead of Sunday's election, a right-wing populist party, Sanseito, was surging in media predictions. Soaring prices and economic constraints have been key issues for voters, but several opposition groups have embraced anti-foreigner positions as well. Sanseito has put forward its 'Japanese First' platform and proposes a new agency to centralize policies for foreigners. The party is against globalist policies and embraces anti-vaccine views, as well as traditional gender roles. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, or CDPJ, and the DPP have also gained ground ahead of the election. If Ishiba's coalition performs poorly on Sunday, the government would not immediately change since the upper chamber lacks the authority to file a no-confidence vote against a leader, but Ishiba would likely face calls from within his party to step down or find another coalition partner.
Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Wage Increases and Economic Growth: Take Measures to Boost Corporate Investment
To realize wage increases that will overcome rising prices, it is essential to strengthen the earning power of companies. In the ongoing House of Councillors election campaign, political parties should compete with each other on strategies to boost investment for that purpose. There is no question that large wage increases are necessary in the attempt to break the Japanese economy out of its long period of stagnation, also known as the 'lost 30 years.' However, while major listed companies have attained record earnings for four consecutive years, wage increases have not kept pace with rising prices. Real wages have been on a downward trend since spring 2022, in effect making the sense of stagnation more pronounced. Under such circumstances, political parties are competing with each other through their plans for tax cuts or cash handouts to ease the immediate burden on household budgets. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japan Innovation Party have proposed temporarily lowering the consumption tax rate on food to zero. The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito have pledged to provide ¥40,000 in cash to every child and to adults in households that are exempt from residential tax, as well as ¥20,000 to other members of the public. However, these shortsighted measures will not be able to revive the Japanese economy. To expand the trend of wage increases, the economic pie for the distribution of wealth must be enlarged by achieving high economic growth. To that end, it is essential for companies to improve their earning power. It is companies themselves that play the main role in raising wages. What is required of the government is a policy that creates an environment conducive to wage increases. One of the reasons for the Japanese economy's stagnation is the lack of corporate investment. It will be necessary to present a strategy and outlook that will encourage investment. The world is undergoing a period of major change. The free trade system is being shaken by the high tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. China has been strengthening its hegemonic moves, and economic security is becoming more important. Under such circumstances, the LDP has identified key industries for the next 10 years and pledged bold investments in them. The CDPJ has proposed support for the domestic production of cloud systems and artificial intelligence. Aren't both of these strategies insufficient for navigating this period of major change? Political parties will be tested as to whether they can first show a broad direction Japan should take and then present concrete measures that will encourage a review of the supply chains and a return of manufacturing industries to Japan, among other changes. One of the main reasons why the Japanese economy is suffering from high prices is that the yen has been excessively depreciated for a prolonged period. Behind the yen's depreciated state is also a decline in national power. If the Japanese economy becomes strong by promoting investment, the yen's depreciation can be expected to ease. Reiwa Shinsengumi, Sanseito and others have advocated the abolition of the consumption tax. Consumption tax revenue amounts to about ¥25 trillion. It is a key tax that makes up about one-third of the nation's tax revenues, and its abolition would result in a loss of confidence in the government's finances. It would only serve to diminish the nation's strength. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 17, 2025)
