Whats driving the far right voters
Whats driving the far right voters
Sanseito's Populist Surge Exposes LDP Vulnerabilities Amid Economic Strain and Immigration Fears
By Japan News Desk | October 3, 2025
Unexpected Electoral Earthquake
TOKYO — This summer's Upper House elections delivered a seismic jolt to Japan's political establishment, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in both parliamentary chambers, a rare humiliation for the long-dominant bloc. Adding to the shock was the meteoric rise of Sanseito, a far-right populist party born from a YouTube channel during the COVID-19 pandemic, whose "Japanese First" slogan propelled it to unexpected gains by channeling voter frustrations over economic inequality, immigration, and perceived elite indifference.
The LDP, despite clinching the most seats, saw Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resign in the aftermath, paving the way for a leadership contest on Saturday where the new president must scramble for alliances with smaller parties to govern effectively. Sanseito's breakthrough, though not enough to seize power, highlighted a brewing discontent among middle-income voters—often in their 30s to 50s—who feel squeezed by stagnant real wages, soaring taxes, and a booming stock market that benefits corporations over workers.
Party leader Sohei Kamiya, speaking at a rally, drew cheers with promises of tax cuts, farmer protections, vaccine skepticism, and curbs on foreign workers and investments, framing them as defenses against a "silent invasion" of outsiders. His use of a derogatory term for ethnic Koreans prompted a swift apology, but the damage—or appeal—lingered, amplified by the party's 2022 book blaming COVID fears on "international Jewish financial capital," later revised amid backlash. Sanseito denies antisemitism, insisting the phrasing was misleading, yet such rhetoric resonates with supporters anxious about cultural shifts in a nation where foreigners make up just 3 percent of the population but fill over half of recent labor force growth in vital sectors like manufacturing and elder care.
Interviews with nearly a dozen Sanseito backers reveal a tapestry of grievances: nurses decrying 46 percent tax rates amid underfunded healthcare, manufacturing workers bemoaning income disparities despite corporate profits, and consultants frustrated by "sloppy" foreign investment rules that seem to favor outsiders. Social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), supercharges these voices with viral posts railing against grants for Chinese students while Japanese youth shoulder lifelong loans—a narrative experts say distorts reality but taps real middle-class alienation.
As the LDP eyes its Saturday vote, Sanseito's orange-clad disruptors—youthful and digital-native—stand in stark contrast to the gray-suited old guard, forcing a reckoning with a political middle long ignored, where economic woes and demographic dreads fuel a far-right flame that could either fizzle or flare brighter in the years ahead.
Middle-Class Malaise Fuels Populist Fire
Sanseito's summer surge exposes the LDP's blind spot: three decades of sluggish growth have left middle-income voters—30s to 50s workers in essential roles—feeling invisible, their 46 percent tax burdens rising to fund elder care in Japan's graying society, while corporate booms enrich shareholders and foreigners snag jobs in a shrinking workforce.
The party's "Japanese First" blend of tax relief, anti-vax skepticism, and immigration crackdowns resonates as a cry for equity, amplified by X's echo chambers decrying "low-quality" inflows despite data showing foreigners bolstering key sectors; this disconnect, as Seikei University's Masaaki Ito notes, demands attention to the squeezed center, squeezed between elite and low-income priorities.
Ishiba's resignation post-losses signals the stakes: without reclaiming these disaffected, the LDP risks further erosion, turning Sanseito's digital disruption into a lasting challenge to Japan's staid politics.
Sanseito's Platform and Controversies
Sanseito's manifesto mixes fiscal populism—tax caps at 35 percent, farmer aid—with cultural alarms like foreign "invasion" fears, its YouTube roots evolving into rallies where Kamiya's slurs against ethnic Koreans drew apologies, and a 2022 book linking COVID to "Jewish financial capital," later edited amid denial of hate.
Voter Profiles and Economic Grievances
Backers, like Saitama nurse Mieko Kudo and Fukuoka consultant Akane Ikeda, voice tax fatigue and "sloppy" foreigner rules favoring rural investments over locals, while manufacturing worker Eisuke Kobayashi welcomes qualified migrants but decries "low-quality" ones straining resources.
Expert Analysis on the Shift
Professor Ito sees Sanseito filling a middle-class void, where LDP neglect breeds demands for small government and cultural safeguards, potentially reshaping alliances as the new leader courts these voters post-Ishiba.
Voices from Sanseito Supporters
"When I look at my pay slip, I wonder why I have to pay so much in social insurance. I’m in the medical industry, and I can see for myself that things aren’t getting better at all. Sanseito promises to cap the tax burden on workers at 35%, which is appealing because the current rate is around 46% and expected to rise with the costs of caring for one of the oldest populations in the world."
"I sympathized with my local Sanseito candidate’s pledges to tighten Japan’s rules for foreigners, though I voted for a more mainstream conservative party in the Upper House election. For example, I see foreign capital coming in to the rural areas of Japan but not investing in the local community. I just feel that a lot of these frameworks concerning foreigners are sloppy from the outset."
"For a long time, many foreigners came to Japan as migrant workers and worked hard, and I think that’s a really good thing. I just think that the recent influx of foreigners has led to an increase in the number of low-quality foreigners, which is a problem. We welcome outsiders who contribute positively, but the government's sloppy policies have allowed unqualified individuals to strain resources."
"Many of the party’s supporters are people in their 30s through their 50s who are feeling increasing strain despite a resurgent stock market and corporate profits. This is only leading to greater shareholder returns rather than income distribution. The party will push for fiscal expansion and fair income distribution to address these imbalances."
"There was a strong tendency to focus on the wealthier and poorer ends with little attention given to the middle. People such as those supporting Sanseito fall between the gaps in the spectrum of Japan’s political parties. The recent popularity of smaller parties like ours shows that voters are hoping for dramatic changes."
Sanseito's Roots in Pandemic Discontent
Sanseito sprouted from a COVID-era YouTube channel, morphing into a far-right force by blending anti-vax rants with economic gripes, its 2022 book's conspiracy nods revised after backlash, yet "Japanese First" endures as a rallying cry for the overlooked middle, contrasting LDP's gray suits with orange vigor in a politics starved for youth.
The Upper House loss—LDP-Komeito majority shattered—forced Ishiba's exit, with Saturday's leadership race eyeing coalitions amid Sanseito's vote grab, as Bank of Japan's Ueda notes foreigners' role in labor amid 3 percent population share driving half of workforce gains, a fact lost on supporters fearing displacement.
Challenges and Horizons for the LDP
The new leader must woo this bloc, tightening foreigner rules—like ¥30 million startup capital hikes and scholarship caps—while countering tax hikes for elders, lest Sanseito's digital fire spreads, redefining Japan's center-right in an era of wage woes and demographic dreads.
This shake-up, born of middle-class neglect, demands a responsive establishment, where populist whispers could roar if unheeded, reshaping governance from Tokyo's halls to rural hearts.
Categories, Keywords, and Sources
Categories: Japan Politics, Far-Right Rise, Voter Discontent, LDP Elections, Immigration Debate
Keywords: Sanseito Japanese First, LDP majority loss, far-right voters Japan, economic inequality politics, Upper House elections 2025
Source: The Japan Times | For more on Banzai Japan news, visit our homepage.
