Japan's right-wing gaining ground

Upper house election indicates shift toward conservatism, analysts say

The notable gains made by Japan's right-wing and exclusionary parties in Sunday's upper house election show these forces are capitalizing on growing public dissatisfaction and tapping into nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiments to expand influence nationwide, according to analysts.

Vote counts on Monday showed the center-right Democratic Party for the People, or DPFP, won 17 seats, and Sanseito, which campaigned on a "Japanese First" platform but advocates far-right policies, including anti-immigrant and going for constitutional amendments, ballooned their seats from 2 to 14.

Kumiko Haba, distinguished professor at Josai International University in Tokyo, noted that both the DPFP and Sanseito were effective in using social media to appeal to younger voters, particularly those who were previously disengaged from politics or unaffiliated with any party.