At the national level, the Sanseito party is quickly making a push into Japanese politics. In the most recent upper house elections, they achieved remarkable electoral gains. The party’s leader, 47-year-old Sohei Kamiya, is a former English teacher and supermarket manager. They’re riding waves of public anger over economic hardships and migration crises.
Sanseito’s platform is deeply rooted in controversial topics like vaccine conspiracy theories and other “globalist elites”. That’s a message that’s hitting home with many voters experiencing the double whammy of a still-stagnant economy and the depreciating yen. Japan’s ruling coalition appears set to lose its majority in the upper house. Meanwhile, Sanseito is expected to win only 32 to 51 seats in this highly proportional legislative body.
Controversial Messaging
Sanseito has sparked a huge amount of controversy with its storylines. The party’s discourse plays on fears of a “silent invasion” led by immigrants that they claim endangers the Japanese way of life and economic livelihood. Despite these assertions, Sohei Kamiya of the Japan Innovation Party is adamant that his party is not calling for a total foreigner ban.
“The phrase was meant to express rebuilding Japanese people’s livelihoods by resisting globalism. I am not saying we should completely ban foreigners or that every foreigner should get out of Japan,” – Sohei Kamiya
The party’s shift to an explicitly anti-immigration message seems to be a strategy to rally support as economic insecurities mount. With foreign residents in Japan reaching a record 3.8 million last year—about three percent of the population—the narrative taps into a mix of nationalism and economic anxiety prevalent among voters.
Economic Discontent
The rise of the Sanseito party illustrates just how unhappy voters are with the dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This party has long taken a strong position in Japanese politics. Persistent economic downturns and increasing cost of living have, understandably, made a majority of citizens feel disillusioned. Sanseito has pounced on this sentiment. They are going big on populism and promising to save money through tax cuts and better social welfare programs.
According to Joshua Walker, an expert on Japanese politics, the excitement surrounding Sanseito runs deeper than its anti-foreign, populist message. It shows the fragility of the LDP’s foundations.
“The buzz around Sanseito, especially here in the United States, stems from its populist and anti-foreign message. But it’s also a reflection of the LDP’s weakness,” – Joshua Walker
The Japanese electorate is still wrestling with concerns over blighted economics. All of these factors have conspired to allow Sanseito’s message to gain traction and cut through into political mainstream.
Inspiration from Abroad
Kamiya says that part of his political approach has been inspired by the “bold political style” of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The impact of this can be seen in Sanseito’s aggressive rhetoric and populist appeal. The party’s rapid ascent represents a historic shakeup in Japanese politics. It’s becoming harder for traditional platforms to keep up as voters’ priorities continue to change.
Sanseito only occupies three seats in Japan’s relatively more powerful lower house. Yet it is their unprecedented success in the upper house elections that poses the biggest challenge yet for the party, representing a historic breakthrough. Its success in framing economic issues through the lens of immigration enforcement priorities shows a play that’s working, one that connects with voters looking for change.
