Sanseito’s rise highlights Japan’s populist shift, as the far-right party made major gains in Sunday’s upper house election. The party increased its seats from two to 15, while Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s coalition lost its majority.
Sanseito, founded just five years ago, draws heavily from global populist playbooks. Its rhetoric mirrors Donald Trump’s “America First,” Germany’s AfD, and Britain’s Reform Party led by Nigel Farage.
The party promotes “Japanese First” ideals. Its platform emphasizes strict immigration rules, rejection of globalist policies, and resistance to gender and environmental reforms.
Sanseito also challenges vaccine mandates and decarbonization efforts. It endorses pesticide-free agriculture and claims to defend traditional Japanese values.
Sanseito’s rise highlights Japan’s populist shift, even though most voters prioritize inflation and economic issues over immigration. Still, party leader Sohei Kamiya blames immigrants for rising crime, property prices, and traffic accidents.
“It’s fine if they visit as tourists,” Kamiya said. “But if we keep importing cheap labor, wages won’t rise for Japanese people.”
He denied being anti-foreigner. “We have never called to drive out foreigners,” he added. Yet, Sanseito rallies use slogans like “Stop destroying Japan!” to rally support.
The party’s growth has benefited from social media amplification. Disinformation about immigrants continues to spread, despite fact-checkers disproving many claims. These include false stories about unpaid medical bills and exaggerated welfare data.
At a Tokyo rally near Shinagawa station, Sanseito supporters distributed flyers to passersby. A 44-year-old IT worker expressed her support. “They voiced what I’ve felt for years,” she said. “Foreigners receive subsidies for school, but we graduated with debt.”
Sanseito’s rise highlights Japan’s populist shift during a period of global political unrest. Experts have warned about foreign interference. Ichiro Yamamoto from the Japan Institute of Law and Information Systems said Russian bots have spread pro-Sanseito messages in Japanese.
Artificial intelligence has improved translations, helping foreign propaganda circulate more effectively online.
During the campaign, some accused Kamiya of accepting Russian support. He denied the allegations. “Russia’s invasion was wrong,” Kamiya said, “but U.S. forces pushed them into it.”
Sanseito’s rise has pressured mainstream parties. Ishiba’s LDP announced a “zero illegal foreign nationals” policy and pledged to enforce immigration laws more strictly.
In response, eight NGOs and over 1,000 civic organizations issued a joint statement. “The claim that foreigners receive priority is baseless demagoguery,” they wrote.
Professor Hidehiro Yamamoto of the University of Tsukuba noted Japan’s resistance to past populist waves. “The LDP caters to diverse groups—farmers, workers, small businesses,” he said.
He cautioned against assuming Sanseito’s success will endure. “You can’t build lasting support on emotional trends,” Yamamoto warned. “Japan has seen similar parties fade quickly.”
Still, Sanseito’s messaging—emotional, simple, and nationalistic—resonates in a time of uncertainty. Whether it becomes a durable force or fades like others remains to be seen.
