‘Japanese First': breakthrough by right-wing populists sparks fears of anti-foreigner backlash in Japan

The Guardian

3 days ago

The emergence of a right-wing populist party in Japan's upper house election on Sunday running on a Trump-style 'Japanese First' slogan has raised concerns of a backlash against the growing foreign presence in the country.
The party, Sanseito, has successfully tapped into unease around an expanding immigrant population and a huge influx of tourists after the pandemic. But many see the underlying cause as economic insecurity among a population that both understands the need for overseas labour and visitors, and feels anxiety at the changes they bring and symbolise.
Sanseito's new contingent of 14 upper house lawmakers, up from a single seat in the previous election, is undoubtedly a breakthrough, but still leaves it a minor force in the 248-seat chamber. Its success comes against the backdrop of a record 3.8 million foreign residents as of 2024, tourist visits surpassing 20 million in the first quarter of this year, and Tokyo property prices rapidly rising due to wealthy foreign buyers.
'To put it simply, I feel like the Japanese are starting to lose confidence,' says Masafumi Usui, a social psychology professor at Niigata Seiryo University. 'When you're living a comfortable life and are respected by others, then you feel secure, and you're more open. But when people feel that their survival is under threat or in crisis, they start wanting to protect their existing culture. I think that leads to things like patriotism and xenophobia.'
Usui notes there was little anti-foreign sentiment during Japan's bubble economy in the 1980s, when it was seen as a powerhouse to be looked up to and learned from. But as its GDP growth stagnated and neighbours such as China and South Korea began to leave it behind in sectors from electronics to shipbuilding, he suggests Japan has struggled to adjust to its new reality.
'I do think people who openly engage in hate speech like 'get out of Japan' are still a minority,' says Usui. 'But more and more people have started saying, 'Why are we spending money on foreigners? Spend it on Japanese people instead.' And I think that's what Sanseito's 'Japanese First' slogan in the election really tapped into. It struck a chord with people who feel like they need to protect Japanese culture and way of life.'
Japan's foreign-born population only accounts for about 3% of its residents. One of the contradictions is that to grow its economy Japan needs to increase that figure. Sanseito's answer to the chronic labour shortage is automation and AI, but even those wary of immigrants acknowledge that for the immediate future, more foreign workers are essential.
There are around a dozen Vietnamese at the company where Akio Ono installs air conditioners, 'I get on well with them, most of the guys do. But when they go to customers' homes, they still have to go with a Japanese colleague as there is still prejudice, as well as language issues.'
Reports of crimes by foreigners, often circulated on social media, have also raised shackles, even though police statistics show immigrants commit proportionally fewer offences than the native population. Ono believes news stories about Vietnamese and Chinese theft rings are 'a big part of what is driving the concerns about immigration.'
'I like the guys I work with but if I see a group of Vietnamese or Chinese walking around, I find them a bit scary. I think a lot of Japanese people feel that way,' adds Ono, who nevertheless voted for the left-wing Reiwa party.
Toyonori Sugita, who runs a metalworking factory just south of Tokyo, leans right but also rejected Sanseito. He sees the electorate's main concerns as the economy and the sales tax, which Sanseito promised to cut.
'What can they actually do to realise 'Japanese First,' make the Chinese people who bought land return it?' questions Sugita.
'I've had Vietnamese working here under the government's Technical Intern Training Program for about three years,' he says. 'They mostly work hard and are earnest; unlike some Japanese, who complain a lot.'
The tourist boom has also aroused conflicting emotions. While the money spent by visitors on luxury accommodation and high-end dining that now seem cheap by global standards boosts the economy, it is a stark reminder of Japan's decline from its glory days.
Usui points out that Japanese people hadn't really been conscious of the gradual fall in relative prices over the last few decades until recent media coverage of big spending foreign tourists drove the point home.
'The reality is that Japan has become a cheap country. You can't deny that wages are higher overseas or that there are 10,000-yen [£50] sea urchin lunches aimed at foreigners. So, in order to protect their emotional wellbeing and maintain their sense of self-worth, people cling to the idea that Japanese culture is the best.'