The right-wing party Sanseito established itself as one of the main winners in Japan's upper house elections held on Sunday, attracting votes thanks to its rhetoric about a "silent invasion" of illegal immigrants in the country and its proposal to reduce taxes and spending on social programs.
Founded on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanseito became known for criticizing the handling of the pandemic and rejecting globalism, until it managed to break into traditional politics with its slogan "Japan First."
The right-wing political force secured 14 seats in this election, adding to the single seat it had won three years ago in the upper house, which is composed of 248 members. In the lower house, which holds greater legislative power, the party only has three representatives.
With this result, Sanseito positioned itself as the fourth opposition force in the chamber, ranking behind the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), and Nippon Ishin no Kai.
"The phrase 'Japan First' was intended to express the reconstruction of the livelihood of the Japanese people through resistance to globalism. I'm not saying we should completely ban the entry of foreigners or that all foreigners should leave Japan," explained Sohei Kamiya, leader of the group, age 47, in statements to the local network Nippon Television after the elections.
