
VOX POPULI: Xenophobia gains ground in Upper House election
Front-page headlines in Japanese newspapers come in various forms. The more important or surprising the news, the more the headline shifts from the traditional vertical format (top to bottom, commonly used in most articles) to a bold horizontal layout (left to right). Major news stories also tend to use what is known as the 'beta-kuro shiro-nuki' format--white lettering set against a solid black background--stretching dramatically across the width of the page.
In the latest Upper House election--where the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, Komeito, suffered a stinging setback--the largest headline now looms high above this daily column, which appears regularly at the bottom of The Asahi Shimbun's front page.
When Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appeared on television on election day, July 20, his expression was more tense and rigid than ever. This seismic shift in Japan's political landscape may well go down as a moment of lasting historical significance.
At the same time, I can't shake the feeling that another, more troubling shift has taken place, one quite different from the 'political upheaval' captured by the headline. It is the rise of xenophobia. I have never witnessed an election in which fear of foreigners was so openly inflamed, nor one where discriminatory rhetoric was voiced with such blatant ease.
Democracy is governance through speech. For elections--the very foundation of democracy--to function properly, it is essential that policy debates be grounded in facts. Yet, despite repeated media fact-checks exposing falsehoods in the xenophobic statements made by a certain party's candidates and its leader, that very party has garnered a significant number of votes. What, then, lies ahead?
If the party continues to take the same stance on issues concerning foreign nationals during Diet deliberations, I fear that its rhetoric--used to legitimize prejudice--will gain broader acceptance in society, bolstered by its growing political influence.
In 'How Democracies Die,' Harvard political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt warn that the erosion of democracy often begins with language. 'The process often begins with words,' they write.
Am I reading too much into this? I can only hope that someday people will look back and say with a laugh, 'You were worrying for nothing.'
--The Asahi Shimbun, July 21
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

24 minutes ago
Same-Sex Partnership Systems Cover More than 90% of Japan's Population a Decade After Introduction
Japan Data A decade after the introduction of same-sex partnership systems in the Tokyo municipalities of Shibuya and Setagaya, coverage has expanded to 92.5% of the Japanese population. Growing Coverage A survey conducted jointly by NPO Nijiiro Diversity and the Shibuya municipal government in Tokyo found that 530 Japanese prefectures and municipalities have adopted same-sex partnership systems as of May 31, 2025. At present, 92.5% of the population in Japan has access to such systems, after a year-on-year increase of 7.4 percentage points. To date, 9,836 partnership certificates have been issued to couples. Under partnership systems, same-sex couples who live together can register for a certificate recognizing their relationship as equivalent to marriage. Obtaining a certificate makes it possible for same-sex partners to be recognized as family and enjoy the same administrative services as their heterosexual counterparts, such as being able to apply for public housing together. Local governments have introduced partnership systems to help compensate for Japan not legally recognizing same-sex marriages. The movement received a major boost in 2022 when the metropolis of Tokyo, with a population of 14 million, introduced its own system. This year's survey found that 33 of Japan's 47 prefectures have same-sex partnership systems in 100% of their municipalities. With the introduction of systems in Sendai, Fukushima, Matsuyama, and other cities, coverage extends to all of the country's prefectural capitals and designated cities. In 2019, same-sex couples filed lawsuits in five district courts, claiming that the current law against same-sex marriage violates the Constitution's guarantees of freedom of marriage and equality under the law. While decisions were divided in the lower courts, judgements from five high courts in 2024 and 2025 were unanimous in ruling that the current law against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Data Sources Information on same-sex partnership systems in Japan (Japanese with English summary) from Shibuya municipal government and NPO Nijiiro Diversity. (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Lawyers for the plaintiffs and others hold boards marking the verdict that the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional at Nagoya High Court on March 7, 2025. © Jiji.)

2 hours ago
Ishiba Reiterates Determination to Stay On
News from Japan Politics Jul 24, 2025 22:05 (JST) Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday reiterated his intention to stay in office despite his ruling bloc's bruising defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election. "I want to continue to make every effort to ensure that this agreement is steadily implemented and to dispel concerns among domestic businesses," Ishiba told reporters, referring to the agreement reached in Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations. "It's important for I and the president to implement the agreement steadily," Ishiba said of U.S. President Donald Trump. Japan has as many as 4,318 items for export to the United States, the prime minister said. "I think (business operators) are very worried about what will happen to their export items." END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press

2 hours ago
Japan Fighter Jets Scramble 157 Times in April-June
News from Japan Jul 24, 2025 21:25 (JST) Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Self-Defense Forces fighter jets scrambled 157 times for possible airspace incursions in April-June, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The scrambles were mostly in response to Chinese and Russian aircraft. The number of scrambles against Russian aircraft was the second lowest since fiscal 2013, but the ministry still considers the figure high. The number of scrambles against Chinese aircraft rose by 17 from a year before to 122, accounting for some 78 pct of the total, according to the ministry. There were 32 scrambles against Russian aircraft, down by 20. In May, a Chinese helicopter intruded into Japanese airspace after taking off from a coast guard ship that entered Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. The Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea are claimed by China. Over 1,300 takeoffs and landings by fighter jets and others on Chinese aircraft carriers advancing to the Pacific Ocean from the East China Sea were confirmed. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press