The rise of the Right Wing in Japan

Japan’s political landscape has witnessed the emergence of a new and controversial force: Sanseitō. Once a largely unknown party, Sanseitō has rapidly gained attention for its ultra-conservative, xenophobic, and nationalistic platform and its sharp critique of mainstream politics. It was the main surprise at the July Parliamentary elections, apart from the bad results for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which let to the change of the primer minister on October 21.

Founded in 2020 by Sohei Kamiya, a former member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Sanseitō leverages social media and populist messaging to appeal to disillusioned voters, particularly younger generations. Its rapid rise reflects broader social discontent with Japan’s economic stagnation, political scandals, and cultural anxieties. Positioned as a ‘Do It Yourself’ party, Sanseitō champions a Japan-first agenda, combining traditionalist ideals with calls for constitutional reform, stricter immigration policies, and a more assertive national defense. Understanding Sanseitō’s ideology, strategies, and growing popularity offers key insights into a shifting Japanese political landscape, where nationalism and populism are increasingly shaping public discourse.

What is Sanseitō?

Sanseitō, literally the ‘political participation party,’ is an ultra-conservative right-wing populist party that has begun to gain traction in mainstream Japanese politics. Though it was relatively unknown before this year, Sanseitō made headlines when it gained 14 out of 248 seats in the July upper house elections, a significant increase from its previous single seat. Sanseitō’s rapid rise is also underscored by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) decline in power, as it lost its majority in both houses of Parliament for the first time in 15 years.

Sanseitō itself was created in 2020 on YouTube, when Kamiya began to amass followers on the platform who were disillusioned with mainstream political parties. It began to gain traction on social media, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when Kamiya started to spread conspiracy theories about vaccines. After that, Sanseitō’s candidates began to win seats in local elections.

Sanseitō claims to have been established by voluntary members who feel a strong sense of crisis that Japan is on decline. Sanseitō believes that current Japanese political parties display nepotism, especially in the case of parliamentary elections, and that these mainstream parties are too constrained by their own interests to be good leaders for their people. As opposed to the majority of Japan’s political parties, Sanseitō is rooted in deep nationalism, as can be seen from its ‘Japanese First’ slogan.

Many of Sanseitō’s policies center around this rhetoric; its platform is mainly based on anti-immigration policies and a desire to preserve Japanese primacy in both society and politics, the latter of which can be seen through Sanseitō’s pledge to “deliver factual education of a self-respecting history view that allows [the Japanese people] to cherish [their] country, region, and traditions.” Furthermore, Sanseitō consistently glorifies Japan’s imperial past, an aspect that aligns with its nationalistic ideology.

In May, Sanseitō issued a new draft constitution that embodies its view for Japan, in which “the emperor reigns over a unified polity of the imperial house and the people.” This shows a desire to move Japan from its current constitutional monarchy back to its pre-war structure of the emperor as an absolute ruler with no traces of democracy. The proposed constitution also calls for the creation of a “Self-Defense Military,” signaling a strong shift from Japan’s current constitution which renounces war as a sovereign right. Furthermore, one of Sanseitō’s 10 pillars in their “nation-building vision” is to “build [a] national defense and crisis control to protect our own country by ourselves.” This could be indicative of a desire to break away from Japan’s dependence on the United States in the security sphere and reestablish military dominance, while also showing a deepening nationalistic shift.

Moreover, Sanseitō has been campaigning on an increasingly anti-foreigner and anti-immigration policy. Though Kamiya himself denies being xenophobic, his party’s draft constitution also includes a section calling for stricter immigration control and the exclusion of naturalized citizens from political participation, among other things. While the LDP, also a conservative party, has also commented on the need for immigration control in Japan, it has usually avoided mention of immigration; the LDP has never actually made a comprehensive immigration law, and much of its anti-foreigner sentiment is based on claims that are “thin and fueled by misinformation circulating on social media.” One such widespread belief is that crime has worsened due to the influx of foreigners. However, government data reveals that the number of foreigners arrested for Penal Code violations has fallen to one-third of what it was less than two decades ago. Nevertheless, false narratives about foreign residents have proven politically useful, constructing a cultural threat that candidates can use to mobilize voters.

While Japan’s newly inaugurated prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is framed as a hardliner on immigration policy, critics believe that “[her] signaling may also be aimed at placating Sanseitō [...]. Takaichi and the LDP want to ensure they address popular concerns so that others don’t outflank them from the right.” Ultimately, Sanseitō’s rise in popularity reflects a shift in Japanese society, from one marked by a deeply ingrained pacifism to one that is itching to take action and see concrete proof of change.

Although both Sanseitō and the LDP are conservative parties, Sanseitō stands out in several ways. First, it seems to have more extreme views on gender equality policies and same-sex marriage, with a desire to abolish both of these. Similarly, Sanseitō proposes a more hardline stance on immigration and the purchase of land by foreigners, something that the LDP has talked about but never taken concrete action on. In addition, Sanseitō has a clear ideology. The LDP, though framed as a conservative party, has a wide variety of factions and ideologies within it. This has led to factionalism and inner-party conflict, especially with the recent resignation of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his replacement with Takaichi. This conflict has often led to instability within the party and the lack of a clearly defined party doctrine. On the other hand, Sanseitō, perhaps also due to its newness, is more structured and has a straightforward and unified ideology. Nevertheless, Sanseitō and the LDP share similar stances on many issues, leading to the question of whether or not the party’s rise may just be the product of a unique and temporary confluence of favorable conditions.

Why is Sanseitō becoming so popular?

Sanseitō’s surge in popularity is not completely surprising; it follows a rise in young people’s disillusionment with mainstream politics, characterized by levels of discontent with current domestic issues, such as rising consumer prices, corruption scandals within the LDP, and the perceived ineptitude of now-former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Furthermore, Japan’s rate of inflation rests near the highest level among all developed economies, and the prices of staples such as rice have skyrocketed. Wages are stagnant, the cost of living keeps rising, and contract work has largely replaced full-time employment. Young people cannot afford marriage, children, or homeownership, while retirees are forced to keep working into their 70s as pensions fall short.

According to media, “For the people of Japan who sense their standard of living in decline—particularly those under age 40 in more precarious career positions—this malaise has been paired with the sight of constantly growing crowds of free-spending foreign tourists and news on wealthy overseas investors buying up real estate in Japan.” There has been a general wave of discontent surrounding the economic hardships Japanese people are facing, which, coupled with a surge in tourism, which citizens feel could lead to an eradication of a Japanese way of life, created the perfect conditions for a party like Sanseitō to take advantage of. Sanseitō’s ‘Japanese first’ mindset, coupled with its harsh outlook towards immigrants and foreigners, perfectly captures the dissatisfaction currently felt by many Japanese citizens.

Its growing traction is also aided by the fact that Sanseitō has a very large online presence. This can be seen in the fact that the party itself was created through YouTube, and it is currently the party with the biggest number of followers on that platform, around three times more than that of the ruling LDP. Sanseitō is also very active on social media platforms such as Instagram, a tool many of Japan’s other parties have not really used to their advantage. Sanseitō’s Instagram page, boasting almost 200,000 followers, posts videos every single day, most of which star its founder, Kamiya, talking about his policies. On the other hand, the LDP only recentlystarted to use social media platforms in the months leading up to the election. By using social media, Sanseitō is able to appeal to a wide range of people, especially younger and first-time voters who are chronically online. This correlation can also be seen in rising movements around the world termed the “Gen Z revolutions.” For example, Nepal’s new transition government was elected via a social media platform called Discord; similarly, a Gen-Z organized protest led to the resignation of Bangladesh’s prime minister in 2024.

Sanseitō’s rapid rise follows a worrying trend. Right-wing populism has seen a rise in the last couple of years in the Western world. Today’s political sphere shows a larger, more significant presence of right-wing populism, such as MAGA in the United States, Alternative für Deutschland in Germany, and Reform UK in the United Kingdom. Some of these parties, like Donald Trump’s MAGA, have been able to attain political power in their countries. However, it is still too early to tell if Sanseitō’s popularity will hold, or if the movement will stay just that—a movement. The recent changes in Japan’s leadership might indicate a general shift to the right in Japan’s politics, as the new prime minister is more conservative than many of her party counterparts.