a far-right party in Japan made big gains
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Japan, Upper House
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A once fringe opposition party in Japan has become the fourth largest in parliament by pushing a nationalist "Japanese First" agenda.
1don MSN
Campaigning under the nationalist slogan “Japanese First,” the party capitalised on growing public frustration with immigration, inflation and the ruling coalition’s performance.View on euronews
The small rightwing populist party led by firebrand Sohei Kamiya won 14 seats in Sunday’s Upper House election.
Populist ideals are gaining traction in Japan, spurred by right-wing politicians running rampant elsewhere railing against “elitism”, “globalism” and immigration.
The Sanseito party tapped into discontent over issues galvanizing voters worldwide: inflation, immigration and a political class dismissed as out of touch.
Internal rivals and a resurgent nationalist right are jeopardising Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s already precarious position.
The era of predictable elections is over, though Prime Minister Ishiba vows to remain in office. Mr. Kirk, based in Seoul and Washington, has been covering Asia for decades for newspapers and magazines and is the author of books on Korea, the Vietnam War and the Philippines.