Rise of a populist party in national politics: Kamiya and Sanseito

Asahi Shimbun

10 hours ago

On July 21, the day after the pivotal Upper House election, a fervent crowd surged in front of Tokyo's JR Shinbashi Station to hear the Sanseito party leader take a victory lap.
When 47-year-old Sohei Kamiya stepped onto the stage, a roar went up and cheers erupted from devoted supporters.
Sanseito tapped into the deep well of voter frustration with the status quo—and in a stunning political surge, expanded the opposition party's Upper House seats from a mere two to a commanding 15.
Sanseito's campaign, championing a 'Japanese First' agenda, ignited a firestorm of controversy. About tackling Japan's declining birthrate, Kamiya said, 'Older women cannot give birth to children.'
Saya, a singer-turned-candidate running from the capital, Tokyo, stirred further controversy by advocating nuclear armament, stating, 'Nuclear armament is one of the most inexpensive and effective measures to ensure safety.'
These provocative statements fueled heated debates across the nation.
In 2020, Kamiya founded the party and rapidly expanded its organization over just five years.
Grasping the microphone, Kamiya looked out at the crowd and reflected: 'This party started from just one person's determination, and through the power of the internet, it has attracted so many people—now we have 18 members in both legislative chambers.'
Hearing this, a 60-year-old woman from Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture said, 'Kamiya is someone who never wavers.' She joined the party three years ago after seeing a Kamiya speech on YouTube.
'I believe Kamiya will bring about politics that truly serves the people,' she said.
So who exactly is Sohei Kamiya, and how did he grow Sanseito into the rising political force it is today?
Based on interviews with those familiar with the party, The Asahi Shimbun delves into its roots and evolution and its leader.
'MINDSET REFORM' SEMINARS
The origin of the concept of Sanseito—where people who encounter ideas of Kamiya and his associates online would participate in the party in various ways—dates back seven years.
'That experience, I believe, became a 'success story' that led to the party's founding,' said Kazuya, a YouTuber and a founding member of Sanseito.
The 'experience' he referred to was the seminar called 'Ishiki kaikaku daigaku' (university of mindset reform), which Kamiya launched in 2018.
Offered both online and in person, the seminar featured lectures from experts across various fields.
Topics included 'Crimes committed by foreigners visiting or residing in Japan and special privileges for zainichi (resident Koreans)' and 'Why now is the time to awaken Yamato-damasii (Japanese spirit).'
The tuition fee for the six-month program was 120,000 yen ($815).
'DELIVER WHAT MASS MEDIA DOESN'T'
Kamiya's entry into politics dates back prior to the party's conception.
He was first elected as a city assembly member of Suita, Osaka Prefecture, in 2007.
In his books and blog, Kamiya explains that he entered the political world 'to educate and change the mindset of young people.'
In the 2012 Lower House election, he ran on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ticket but was defeated, and shortly thereafter, he left the LDP.
Kazuya said he first met Kamiya around the time he shifted his focus to online activities.
Having attended the Ishiki kaikaku daigaku seminar, Kazuya recalls that it 'managed to attract a considerable number of participants.'
He was particularly struck by how attendees who came to the seminar venue gradually formed stronger connections with one another.
The Ishiki kaikaku daigaku positioned itself online by emphasizing that it provides insights that 'the mass media do not report,' highlighting the unique value of its information.
Through this approach, it connected with viewers, transformed them into supporters, and provided those followers with a place for 'learning,' which also became a source of funding for its activities.
This method would later be adopted and continued by the Sanseito party.
'DO IT YOURSELF' POLITICAL PARTY
In January 2019, Kamiya told Kazuya in a meeting in Tokyo, 'I want to create a political party and change Japan.'
Kazuya, thinking that 'starting all at once might be too difficult,' proposed a project called 'Political party DIY" (Do It Yourself) to Kamiya.
The concept was, 'If there is no party you support, let's build one ourselves.'
Through online streaming, it would involve viewers in founding a political party from scratch and gathering supporters along the way.
Kazuya said Kamiya immediately agreed, saying, 'That sounds great!'
Sanseito was officially established in April 2020 with roughly 2,800 members at the time.
PATRIOTIC MESSAGE WITH GRIM FUTURE VISION
Webcasting has been a strong suit for Kamiya. Starting in 2013, he launched a YouTube channel where he serves as the 'main anchor,' sharing his views on what he called 'the nation's grand strategy.'
In the early days of the channel, the content prominently featured portrayals of Japan's neighboring countries as threats and strongly emphasized praising Japan's ancient culture.
Titles such as 'Warning! The real China' and 'Shintoism is the identity of Japan' were common.
These themes have since become closely linked to the Sanseito party's current platform.
In a blog written around the time Sanseito was founded, Kamiya explained that he created his YouTube channel because he 'deeply felt the distortion in mass media and education, and recognized the importance of disseminating information.'
In the summer of 2020, Kamiya established the 'Sanseito DIY school.'
Addressing party members, he warned that Japan's future could lead to 'a Great Depression, riots, suppression of free speech and even the collapse of the state.'
Then he promoted the school as a place where members could absorb the 'wisdom of sages' to overcome these crises.
According to Sanseito's 2021 political funding report, which covered the two DIY school sessions held that year, the DIY school generated approximately 32 million yen in tuition fees.
While the Sanseito party began mobilizing supporters and funding itself primarily through the internet, not everything went smoothly.
Following the party's founding, differences in opinion with Kamiya and conflicts over management policies led to frequent changes among the party's leadership members.
Kazuya was no exception.
TRUMP 'VICTORY' AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES
One of the turning points that led Kazuya to distance himself from the Sanseito party was a visit, at the invitation of Kamiya, to a certain 'scientist.'
In March 2020, along with Kamiya and several founding members of the party, Kazuya went to an office in Atsugi to meet the man whom Kamiya referred to as a scientist.
The man appeared to be selling 'health products,' including chairs that emitted so-called 'body-beneficial frequencies.'
He then began talking about the upcoming U.S. presidential election scheduled for November that year, confidently stating, 'It has been decided that Trump will win re-election.'
Some of those who accompanied Kazuya left due to the lack of credible evidence in the man's claims. However, Kamiya listened intently to the man's story until the very end.
Seeing this, Kazuya later reflected, 'The story sounded like it was decided by some shadowy force and was quite suspicious, yet (Kamiya) accepted it unquestioningly, which was shocking.'
The 'prophecy' uttered by the 'scientist' proved to be wrong, as Joe Biden defeated Trump in the presidential election that year.
However, this time it was Kamiya himself who began promoting statements that could be seen as conspiracy theories.
On one occasion, Kazuya heard Kamiya claim that 'international financial capital controls the West.'
Reflecting on this, Kazuya felt that 'without a shared understanding of basic facts, meaningful policy discussions are impossible.'
In January 2021, he informed Kamiya of his decision to leave Sanseito.
FIRST NATIONAL WIN ON 'ANTI-VACCINE' MESSAGE
The founding of Saneito in April 2020 coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At that time, the party's core members claimed that 'certain 'forces' seeking to profit from vaccines and pharmaceutical sales were exaggerating the dangers of (the novel coronavirus).'
In the 2022 Upper House election, when Sanseito made its first foray into national politics, the party made 'the freedom not to get vaccinated' a central campaign theme.
As a result, the party garnered 1.76 million votes in the proportional representation block, securing Kamiya's position as Sanseito's first Diet member.
The writer known as 'Kuroneko Doraneko' has been closely watching Sanseito since around that time.
Kuroneko monitors and analyzes misinformation spreading on the internet, such as spiritual businesses, anti-vaccine movements and conspiracy theories.
In Kuroneko's eyes, Sanseito's success in the 2022 Upper House election was a reflection of the party's ability to 'capture and represent the sentiments of people who hold 'anti-vaccine' views.'
RADICAL FACE SHOWN ONLY TO SUPPORTERS
On the other hand, Kuroneko also believes that Sanseito's public statements have shifted toward a 'milder approach' over the years.
An example is of the five core members who were central to the party during the 2022 Upper House election, three who made false claims such as 'wheat flour did not exist in pre-war Japan' left the party the following year.
Another example is at a news conference after the Upper House election in July this year, Kamiya commented on the controversy sparked when a Sanseito candidate referred to protestors as 'unpatriotic' during a rally, saying he 'wants to issue a warning.'
Kamiya also cited governance reforms within the party as a key challenge going forward.
Kuroneko believes that Kamiya 'may have realized that toning down radical claims could gain a broader support.'
However, there are also claims suggesting that Kamiya 'shows a different face in closed settings attended only by supporters.'
In May of this year, Sanseito held a political fund-raising party at a hall in Tokyo's Takadanobaba district, attracting a large number of supporters.
According to an attendee, Kamiya shouted from the stage: 'First and foremost, members of the Diet should work for the Japanese people. But there are way too many who don't. Many can't even show their family registry.'
Kamiya went on to say, 'They're also making sure our reach on social media doesn't spread.'
In response, the audience broke into applause, the attendee said. The fund-raising party lasted for seven hours.
In a YouTube livestream interview with a journalist in late May, Kamiya frequently mentioned the 'Deep State,' a shadow government often spoken about among Trump supporters.
Kazuya analyzes, 'Kamiya aims to build a party with broad support and is hiding his conspiracy theories. But to some extent, they have surfaced.'
Voices questioning the substance of Kamiya's messages have emerged even from within his party.
'Kamiya is good at building an organization, but he's barely involved in policy,' said an executive from a Sanseito candidate's campaign team in the Upper House election. 'That's why what he says keeps changing.'
Kazuya also noted a concern: 'There is a danger that policies based on incorrect premises may be formulated' by Kamiya's party.