On 20th July, Japan held elections for its House of Councillors, or the upper house of its parliament. The governing coalition lost its majority, the most striking stumble in their political history of ruling Japan for over 50 years. An unlikely contender, the Sanseito party, snatched away its seats, going from one to acquiring 14.
The far-right party rhetoric borrowed ideas from Western cousins, such as the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, Alternative für Deutchland (AfD), and France’s National Rally. But they also tapped into social insecurity brought on by foreigners and migration.
‘Japanese First’ Breakthrough
Japan was seen as a steady democracy with small to no change during elections. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been in power almost continuously since 1955. But now, analysts say, a massive change is on the way.
The Sanseito Party was born much later; during the Covid-19 pandemic, they emerged as a force opposing public health measures like PCR testing, mandatory masks, and vaccination. Later they developed the idea of a “silent invasion” by foreigners, who arrived in Japan to buy infrastructure and disrespects the culture.
Immigration, however, is surprisingly small compared to international standards; only 3% of the population is foreign-born. Last year, this constituted about 3.8 million people, which is a national record, an increase of 11% compared to the previous year. However, the country only reluctantly opened its borders in the 1980s to attract labor force.
The government also put much emphasis on tourism, setting a target of 60 million foreign visitors by 2030, which the country is on course to. The number of tourists arriving in Japan has also hit a record of over 21.5 million in the first half of 2025.
While all this aids the economy, it has caused much resentment for locals. Japan’s strict culture is difficult to grasp for many, leaving the Japanese outraged when usually quiet street in rural towns like Kyoto are loud with foreign chatter, or they do not portray enough humility or respect.
Foreigners: Remedy for Economy?
Japan has been facing a complex issue: its population was cited as the oldest in 2024, estimated to be the third-most-expensive country to raise children in 2023, with a 14-year-long continuous decline in birthrates. This greatly jeopardized its social security and economic wellbeing.
Initially, the government attempted to make up for the missing workforce with automatization and later began attracting migrant workers who struggled to integrate into a closed-off and strict Japanese culture.
Meanwhile, their stagnant economy continued to decline; a cost of living crisis, rising inflation, and unchanging wages create social tensions leave many struggling. Media reports of foreigners committing crimes, along with the party’s rhetoric, aggravate such sentiments.
Party founder Sohei Kamiya has called out the government for providing immigrants extra social security and education support, despite the welfare minister denying this. As the tax burden is getting more difficult to bear, Sanseito blames policies benefitting foreigners. Some supporters say they fear non-nationals who may “go on a rampage” despite never having experienced such phenomenon.
Trump’s influence is explicitly stated as the party developed the “Japanese First” catchphrase and their rallies where voters can vent their frustrations. Supporters say the party speaks truths others do not – much like in other populist parties, the objective truth matters less than voters’ personal feelings.
Fear of immigration and mass tourism also scared locals after hearing of the ongoing migration crises of Europe and the US. The founder and now party leader’s charisma is another significant addition to the equation.
Voter frustration with the long-standing LDP party also contributes greatly to its losses, and conversely the far-right’s radical plans for change are attractive to a stagnating country.
While this major step forward is not a change in government, it does signal a significant change in Japanese politics. With the LDP coalition majority gone in both houses of parliament, Sanseito is in a better position to make gains as social changes seem to propel their support forward.
