On Sunday, Japan held a Upper House election, in which the fringe right-wing party “Sanseito” emerged as the biggest dark horse of this election by gaining 14 seats with their anti-immigration and tax reduction platform. This election also made history with 42 women being elected, sparking attention to the changing landscape of Japanese politics.
The Upper House election this time had 125 seats up for grabs. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito lost the majority in the Upper House after the election, dropping from 141 seats to 122 seats, falling short of their pre-election goal of 50 seats.
A total of 520 candidates competed in this election, with a voter turnout of 58.51%, higher than the 52.05% in 2022. The election result will further intensify the pressure Prime Minister Ishiba faces within the party.
“Sanseito” was one of the major winners in this election, securing 14 seats, adding to the 1 seat they won three years ago, bringing their total to 15 seats in the 248-seat Upper House. However, in the more powerful Lower House, the party only has 3 seats.
“Sanseito” first gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic through their YouTube channel, where they spread information regarding vaccines and global elite conspiracies. Now, with the slogan “Japanese First,” they have successfully entered mainstream politics advocating against globalism, with a focus on anti-immigration and improving livelihoods.
After the election, the leader of “Sanseito,” Sohei Kamiya, stated in an interview with Nippon Television, “The phrase ‘Japanese First’ expresses our desire to combat globalism and rebuild the lives of the Japanese people. I’m not saying we should completely ban foreigners (from visiting or settling), nor am I saying that all foreigners should leave Japan.”
Although immigration was not a top priority for a majority of voters before the election, according to NHK’s poll, only 7% of voters considered immigration as their primary concern, much lower than issues like social security (29%) and rising prices (28%).
However, “Sanseito” managed to attract attention from some voters by using phrases like “silent invasion.”
Under the rising pressure of “Sanseito,” the Ishiba government announced the establishment of a dedicated government task force in the days leading up to the vote aimed at combating “crimes and disorderly conduct” by foreigners and setting a policy goal of “zero illegal foreigners.”
According to Reuters, political analysts pointed out that “Sanseito’s” focus on specific issues struck a chord with voters feeling dissatisfied with the weak economy. The significant depreciation of the yen in recent years has attracted record numbers of tourists, further driving up prices in Japan, making it challenging for many people to afford.
Before the election, Sohei Kamiya revealed to Reuters that he was inspired by the bold political style of U.S. President Trump. His views and actions are often compared to Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Reform UK in the UK.
Kamiya gained popularity in 2022 with his statement about the Emperor needing a consort, winning a parliamentary seat for the first time. Despite attempting to downplay controversial statements within the party later, his remarks during this election cycle on gender equality policies being a “mistake” sparked controversy.
During this election, he considered gender equality as a “mistake,” believing that such policies “encourage women to work, leading them to not bear children.”
In an effort to change their image and expand support beyond young men, “Sanseito” also nominated several female candidates, including singer SAYA who successfully won in the Tokyo district.
According to Kyodo News, there were a total of 152 female candidates in this election, with “Sanseito” nominating 24, the highest among all parties, followed by the Constitutional Democratic Party with 21, and the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito with 17 and 5 respectively.
In terms of policies, “Sanseito” advocates tax cuts and increasing childcare subsidies like other opposition parties, but what sets them apart is their significant online presence that gives them the strength to challenge the political system. “Sanseito’s” official YouTube channel has over 462,000 subscribers, the highest among all Japanese political parties, far exceeding the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s 140,000 followers.
In this Upper House election, a record-breaking 42 women were elected, surpassing the 35 in 2022, accounting for 33.6% of the 125 seats in this election, the highest ever. Among the elected women are former Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party, and veteran lawmaker Renho from the Constitutional Democratic Party.
However, the overall proportion of female candidates still falls short of the target set by the Japanese government.
According to Kyodo News, there were 152 female candidates this time, accounting for 29.1% of the total candidates, lower than the government’s target of 35%. In the 2022 election, the percentage of female candidates reached 33.2%, setting a record high.
The Japanese Upper House has a total of 248 seats, with senators serving a 6-year term, and half of the seats going up for election every 3 years, totaling 124 seats. This election includes 74 district seats and 50 proportional representation seats, in addition to a by-election in the Tokyo district, making a total of 125 seats to be filled.
The election results resulted in the ruling coalition losing the majority in the Upper House, with the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito’s combined seats dropping to 122, falling short of not only their pre-election goal of “at least 50 seats” but also causing them to lose control of both houses, a rare occurrence.
Facing reluctance from major opposition parties to join an expanded coalition government, Prime Minister Ishiba, though stating his intention to remain, may face increasing calls within the party to step down.
The final distribution of seats in the Upper House by parties is as follows: the Constitutional Democratic Party maintains 38 seats, the Japan Innovation Party increases to 19 seats (up from 18), and the National Democratic Party significantly grows from 9 seats to 22 seats. “Sanseito” increases to 15 seats, meeting the threshold for introducing bills for the first time.
(This article references reports from Reuters and Kyodo News)