Upper House Election: Sanseito Expands National Presence with Wins in Tokyo, Aichi, Fukuoka; Strategy of Fielding Candidates in Every Constituency Race Pays Off
During this election, the party fielded candidates in every constituency race, and it placed 10 names on the proportional ballot. Altogether it ran 55 candidates, the second largest slate after the Liberal Democratic Party, and this scale became the driving force behind its gains.
'The public now knows who we are,' said party leader Sohei Kamiya on an NHK program Sunday night. 'In the next House of Representatives election we want to win 50 to 60 seats and secure a position in a coalition cabinet.'
Campaign messaging revolved around a 'Japanese First' theme, emphasizing opposition to what Sanseito calls excessive acceptance of foreign nationals and proposing stricter screening of land purchases by foreigners. As its top policy priorities, the party also advocated tax cuts and an aggressive fiscal stance.
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