Adding to the shock of this year's Upper House elections was the surge in votes for Sanseito, a far-right populist party that campaigned on a mix of tax cutting, vaccine skepticism and restrictions on immigration. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/03/japan/politics/sanseito-foreigners-populist/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanseito #ldp #socialmedia #foreignworkers #soheikamiya
The Liberal Democratic Party, which has dominated Japanese politics for most of the postwar era, is in danger of crumbling. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/02/japan/politics/japan-ruling-party-ldp-in-danger/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #farmers #agriculture #rurallife #rice #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #sanseito
Can former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi win back conservative voters? Maybe not. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/01/japan/politics/takaichi-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #sanseito
Japan's far-right Sanseito party has set up an international arm to court U.S. President Donald Trump's allies, betting that global conservative recognition will help it shake up staid Japanese politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/01/japan/politics/sanseito-seeks-global-recognition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanseito #2025upperhouseelection #soheikamiya #stevebannon #charliekirk
As Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party shifts left, influenced by liberal powerbrokers, its conservative wing weakens, internal rifts widen and weak leadership contenders risk fracturing the party. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/09/30/japan/the-last-ldp-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #takayukikobayashi #ldp #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #diet #yoshimasahayashi #cdp #dpp #sanseito #nipponishinnokai
Japan's opposition parties are bracing themselves for the possibility of a snap election for Japan's Lower House once the Liberal Democratic Party elects its next leader in October. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/15/japan/politics/opposition-parties-wary-of-possible-early-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics#lowerhouse #ldp #dpp #cdp #sanseito #nipponishinnokai
The sudden death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the differing reactions to it highlighted the depth of political divisions in the U.S. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/11/world/politics/charlie-kirk-death-us-divisions/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #charliekirk #us #donaldtrump #guns #sanseito #democrats #republicans
U.S. right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk was part of a constellation of influencers who helped amplify Republican President Donald Trump's agenda. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/11/world/politics/kirk-trump-2024-victory-key-role/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #charliekirk #us #donaldtrump #guns #sanseito
To become prime minister, whoever wins the Liberal Democratic Party presidency on Oct. 4 must work to secure the necessary votes in parliament from the opposition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/10/japan/politics/pm-and-opposition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #cdp #komeito #dpp #nipponishinnokai #sanseito#toshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi#sanaetakaichi
Elon Musk has voiced support for an anti-immigration demonstration in Japan, commenting "Good" on a video posted on X by an account called The British Patriot. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/02/japan/anti-immigration-support-musk/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #elonmusk #socialmedia #sanseito #immigration
Japan’s largest opposition party is softening its stance toward Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s minority government in a bid to “improve” Japanese politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/20/japan/politics/cdp-current-status/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cdp #dpp #sanseito #ldp #yoshihikonoda#ichiroozawa #shigeruishiba
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Friday, the 80th anniversary of the country's surrender in World War II. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/15/japan/lawmakers-visit-yasukuni-shrine/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan#yasukunishrine #wwii #ldp #sanseito #shinjirokoizumi
Sanseito, a fast-rising conservative party, is challenging Japan’s political mainstream with traditionalist ideas, controversial views on foreigners and ambitious plans for a new Constitution. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/29/japan/who-is-the-real-sanseito/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanseito #soheikamiya #ldp #constitution #immigration
Russia, China and South Korea are trying to predict what the rise of Japan’s far right will mean for their interests. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/28/japan/japans-neighbors-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanseito #2025upperhouseelection #southkorea #northkorea #china #russia
An opposition push to abolish a provisional gasoline tax is the first test facing the minority government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after it lost control of the Upper House. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/25/japan/politics/gas-tax-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #cdp #shigeruishiba #gas #diet #nipponishinnokai #dpp #reiwashinsengumi #sanseito #jcp #sdp #teammirai #cpj
Japan’s ruling coalition is weakening as rising populist parties like Sanseito gain support, raising concerns that Japan could shift toward unstable multiparty coalition politics similar to Israel’s fragmented Knesset. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/25/japan/japans-legislature-unstable-like-israels/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanseito #komeito #ldp #shigeruishiba #israel #knesset
The LDP’s historic Upper House defeat leaves the party fragmented and searching for a capable leader who can reunite conservatives, modernize its appeal, deliver real policies and rebuild its internal power structure. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/25/japan/who-will-save-the-liberal-democratic-party/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shigeruishiba #ldp #komeito #dpp #2025upperhouseelection #sanseito #ishinnokai #cdp
Japan’s ruling LDP-Komeito bloc lost big, smaller parties gained ground and the country now faces a more fractured, uncertain political future. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/editorials/2025/07/25/shellacking-leaves-japanese-politics-in-limbo/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #editorials #shigeruishiba #ldp #komeito #dpp #2025upperhouseelection #sanseito #ishinnokai #cdp
Japan’s recent election fueled immigration fears, but the foreign resident population remains small, integrated and vital to counter population decline. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/07/23/japan/japan-can-accept-more-foreign-residents/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanseito #2025upperhouseelection #immigration #tourism #japaneseeconomy
Backers of the center-right Democratic Party for the People abandoned it for the populist right-wing Sanseito in the months leading up to Sunday’s Upper House election, an analysis of voter trends has shown. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/23/japan/politics/dpp-sanseito-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanseito #dpp #2025upperhouseelection