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Japanese voters hungry for solutions to cost of living crisis

Japanese voters hungry for solutions to cost of living crisis

NHK5 days ago
This Upper House election, rising costs of staple goods are a key issue for families and businesses alike. Some parties are pitching solutions like cash handouts and tax cuts, but is it enough?
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‘Japanese First' Sanseito emerges as third-largest Upper House opposition party
‘Japanese First' Sanseito emerges as third-largest Upper House opposition party

Japan Times

time15 hours ago

  • Japan Times

‘Japanese First' Sanseito emerges as third-largest Upper House opposition party

The small right-wing populist party Sanseito, which campaigned under the slogan of 'Japanese First,' won big in Sunday's Upper House election, taking a projected 14 seats — the third-most among opposition forces in the poll. The stunning results put the upstart party just behind the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Nippon Ishin no Kai among opposition parties in its total number of Upper House seats. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito coalition was dealt a drubbing in the poll, losing its majority — meaning it will need the support of at least one opposition party to pass any piece of legislation. But Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya said that while his party may cooperate with the ruling coalition on a policy basis, he had ruled out joining any government, at least until the party wins more seats in the next Lower House election. 'If Sanseito wins 50 or 60 seats in the next Lower House election, I think it may be possible to form a coalition government with small parties, like European (governments), in the future. (Sanseito) will aim to be a part of that,' Kamiya told a news conference Sunday night. Although Sanseito was unable to achieve its goal of winning 20 seats — the minimum required to submit budget bills in the Upper House — it now has enough to submit nonspending bills, which require just 10. The party won seven seats in electoral districts –– including in highly contested battlegrounds in Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, Ibaraki, Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures, as well as in Osaka, Nippon Ishin's home turf. It also won seven proportional representation slots. In Tokyo, where seven seats were contested, Sanseito was the second-most popular party after the LDP, with candidate Saya, who goes by one name, winning 668,568 votes and LDP candidate Daichi Suzuki garnering 772,272. About 1,400 voters attend Sanseito's public rally on Saturday morning near Omiya Station in the city of Saitama, according to party officials. | Himari Semans As ballots were being tallied Sunday night, Kamiya and other successful candidates spoke to the media, devoting much of their airtime to defending the party's controversial 'Japanese First' rhetoric. Repeatedly denying that the slogan is xenophobic, Kamiya claimed it 'is about standing up against globalism and protecting the lives of Japanese citizens.' 'The notion that people who want to discriminate and kick foreigners out (of Japan) are flocking to Sanseito is, I think, a little wrong. We aren't that kind of party,' said Kamiya, who did not run in Sunday's election as his Upper House term ends in 2028. Nevertheless, winning candidates said they owed their strong showing to the party's 'Japanese First' rhetoric, which they said had resonated with voters. Mizuho Umemura, who won a proportional representation seat, said that the approach matched the views of voters who are not content with the government's immigration policy amid concerns over rising foreign landownership and overtourism. Sanseito has vowed to limit the number of foreign nationals in Japan — including specified skilled workers and tourists — and cap the proportion of foreign residents at 5% of Japanese citizens in each municipality. It has also pledged to make it more difficult for foreign nationals to be naturalized as citizens or obtain permanent residence, while banning naturalized citizens from running for public office. Days before the Upper House election, Sanseito's support rating hit a record high of 4.7% — up 2.2 percentage points from the previous month — making it the third most popular party after the LDP and CDP, according to a Jiji Press poll released Thursday. The rise in support for Sanseito was evident by the growing crowds at its public rallies as Election Day neared. On Saturday morning, about 1,400 people attended a Sanseito rally in Saitama, while around 20,000 turned out for its final rally that evening in Tokyo, according to party officials. It was not possible to independently confirm those figures. While most rally attendees supported Sanseito, they were also joined by a small group of protesters that had also attended nearly every party event, holding signs critical of its policies that read 'There is no first or second to humankind' and 'Japanese First is discrimination.'

‘Japanese First' Sanseito emerges as powerful force after Upper House poll
‘Japanese First' Sanseito emerges as powerful force after Upper House poll

Japan Times

time15 hours ago

  • Japan Times

‘Japanese First' Sanseito emerges as powerful force after Upper House poll

The small right-wing populist party Sanseito, which campaigned under the slogan of 'Japanese First,' won big in Sunday's Upper House election, taking a projected 14 seats — the third-most among opposition forces in the poll. The stunning results put the upstart party just behind the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) and Nippon Ishin no Kai among opposition parties in its total number of Upper House seats. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito coalition was dealt a drubbing in the poll, losing its majority — meaning it will need the support of at least one opposition party to pass any piece of legislation.

Polls open for key Upper House election that could shake Japanese politics
Polls open for key Upper House election that could shake Japanese politics

Japan Times

time2 days ago

  • Japan Times

Polls open for key Upper House election that could shake Japanese politics

Voters head to the polls Sunday for an Upper House election that could considerably alter the Japanese political landscape. Opinion polls have indicated the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition could lose its long-held majority in the upper chamber, a development that would likely exacerbate instability amid significant challenges at home and abroad. Since the Lower House election, which saw the coalition fall short of a majority, the LDP hasn't been able to rehabilitate its standing in the eyes of many voters. Sunday's vote will offer a snapshot of the current mood around Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who also serves as LDP leader and whose political standing has long been tarnished by low approval ratings. With 75 of its seats not up for re-election in the Upper House, 50 is the number the coalition is aiming for to retain a majority in the chamber. Komeito's declining fortunes, apparent in the recent election for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, are contributing to a growing sense of anxiety, however. A variety of scenarios await the country should the coalition lose its majority — ranging from an enlarged ruling coalition to an opposition-led chamber, or even a minority leadership in both chambers. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda stumps in the city of Fukuoka on Friday. | JIJI The last time an LDP government lost a majority in the Upper House was in 2007 during the first stint of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who resigned soon after the election. Meanwhile, the opposition is expected to make strong gains nationwide, most notably in the 32 single-seat constituencies set to sway the outcome of the election. A Kyodo News poll conducted in the final stages of the campaign showed that opposition candidates are leading in 14 constituencies, including long-time LDP strongholds such as Kagoshima and Miyazaki. The LDP is ahead in only nine of them. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan will likely maintain its position as the largest opposition force in both chambers of parliament, further reducing its gap to the LDP. The opposition camp, however, remains largely fragmented. Voters try to capture photos and videos as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is also the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks to voters in Yokohama on Friday. | REUTERS Whether the Democratic Party for the People — the big winner of the last Lower House election — can build on that momentum will be closely watched. Sanseito, a party with only three seats in the Lower House, is also expected to garner wide support across the country, possibly gaining seats in urban districts. On the other hand, polls have found the Japanese Communist Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai will face uphill battles to expand their foothold in the legislative arena. Two issues have shaped the 17-day campaign: rising prices and the handling of policies related to the foreign community. While all opposition parties are calling for tax cuts to ease the pain of inflation, the ruling coalition has pledged cash handouts to everyone, including foreign residents, and targeted support for child-rearing and low-income households. Regardless of the outcome of the election, economic issues will be at the top of the agenda in the coming weeks and months — 'reciprocal' tariffs of 25% will be charged on almost all Japanese goods entering the United States starting Aug. 1 unless a compromise with the administration of President Donald Trump is reached.

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