In the Upper House elections scheduled for 20 July, the ultra-nationalist party founded by Kamiya Sohei is trailing just behind the Liberal Democrats in the polls, who are at risk of losing their majority. Anti-globalists, opposed to LGBTQ+ rights and immigration, and in favour of food self-sufficiency, its members accuse foreigners of impoverishing Japan. In recent years, support has grown especially among men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are disillusioned with traditional parties.

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - The ultra-nationalist far right is also growing in Japan. Polls ahead of the 20 July House of Councillors elections show Sanseito as the second largest party behind the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has long led the country, surpassing all opposition parties.

In the Tokyo municipal elections at the end of June, the ‘do-it-yourself’ party, as it is translated, won 117,000 votes, or 2.22%.

Although the elections were won by Governor Yuriko Koike (who ran as an independent but is close to the party she founded, Tomin First no Kai, “Tokyo citizens first”), this is a worrying development for the Liberal Democrats, whose members have been at the centre of several scandals in recent years.

Now, despite being part of the conservative wing, they risk seeing their majority eroded, complicating the national political landscape.

Sanseito was founded with the publication by leader Kamiya Sohei of a video on YouTube in 2020 during the period of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the slogan “If there is no party you want to vote for, let's create one from scratch”.

Accused of spreading misinformation, they were opposed to the use of masks and compulsory vaccination. They believe it is necessary to preserve traditional Japanese culture and revive the “true Japanese spirit”, called “Hakko Ichiu”.

They oppose globalisation, LGBTQ rights, women's right to work (Kamiya said during an election rally that women should stay at home and look after their children instead of pursuing a career, describing gender equality policies as “misleading”), immigration and nuclear energy, and call for agricultural self-sufficiency.

Some members have called for the rewriting of the Constitution, adopted in 1947, and slogans used by the Japanese empire during the Second World War have been revived, such as “unify the eight corners of the world”, which was used to justify Japanese rule over the rest of Asia.

Sanseito currently has five lawmakers in Parliament, after winning a seat in the House of Councillors (upper house) of the Diet in 2022, to which three were added last year in the House of Representatives (lower house).

The party, which claims to have over 80,000 members, is gaining ground mainly among men in their 30s and 50s who are disillusioned and disenchanted with the Liberal Democratic Party.

Analysis shows that Sanseito draws much of its support at the national level from a cohort of young people tired of an ineffective, corrupt and nepotistic political class, and disgusted by a series of uninspiring leaders.

At a meeting of far-right members in Hashimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, held in February, participants proposed adding a new fundamental law to the Constitution stating that “Japan belongs to the Japanese people and foreign ownership of Japanese land is not permitted”, according to local news agency Kyodo. According to one woman, 'the Constitution was not written by the Japanese people. I want people to be taught the correct history."

“First, foreigners must fulfil their obligations as human beings, and then we can teach them their rights,” said another participant. “It's true. Japan is a paradise for foreigners,” added another. Sanseito members argue that Japan spends more money on foreigners than on supporting its citizens, who have been impoverished by economic stagnation.

During a rally in Tokyo on 3 July, Sanseito leader Kamiya Sohei reiterated the party's opposition to foreign immigration being used to compensate for Japan's declining workforce.

The party not only supports stricter regulations, but also believes that robotics and artificial intelligence should be used in sectors such as elderly care, healthcare and agriculture.

Food self-sufficiency plays a key role in Sanseito's policy and is now enjoying renewed importance due to talks with the United States on tariffs. US President Donald Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on Tokyo if no agreement is reached by the end of the month.

Japan is the OECD country with the highest rate of dependence on foreign imports. Sanseito would like to reclassify farmers as public employees, expand organic farming and include traditional cuisine in school meal programmes, proposals that once again refer to the very essence of being Japanese.

The United States, on the other hand, has made greater access to the Japanese rice market a condition for any trade agreement. Tokyo continues to resist this ultimatum, insisting that rice remain off the negotiating table.