‘Japanese First’ Nationalism Rises Ahead of Japan’s July Elections
(MENAFN) As Japan approaches its July 20 election for the House of Councilors, policies concerning foreign residents have taken center stage in an increasingly heated campaign, local news outlets reported Monday.
Amid waning support for the long-ruling coalition, smaller conservative opposition groups—especially the nationalist Sanseito party—are gaining traction by promoting tougher restrictions on foreigners under their “Japanese First” agenda, according to a news agency.
Recent polls indicate Sanseito is climbing to second place in voter preference, as parties scramble to secure control of the upper house.
The party demands the termination of welfare benefits for foreigners, prohibition of their employment in public-sector jobs, and the creation of a unified immigration authority. It also pushes for greater cultural assimilation by foreign residents in Japan.
Experts warn the debate risks extending beyond mere election tactics, cautioning that the spread of xenophobic narratives—often lacking factual support—could deepen societal rifts and discrimination.
Exclusionary attitudes are proliferating online and elsewhere, fueled by perceptions that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is accelerating efforts to increase foreign inflows.
Incidents involving a small number of foreigners, such as reckless driving and alleged misuse of public services, appear to be stoking public resentment.
Even the dominant LDP is competing to demonstrate stricter immigration control while responding to calls for multicultural coexistence.
Police records reveal that offenses involving foreign residents steadily declined until 2022, with only a minor rise in 2023. Foreign nationals consistently represent roughly 2% of all reported cases over the past decade.
In response, Ishiba is establishing a new command center within the Cabinet Secretariat to tackle immigration issues. The LDP has adopted a tougher campaign stance, pledging to pursue “zero illegal foreigners,” while its coalition partner Komeito promises enhanced residence management.
Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Party for the People, popular among younger voters, advocates tighter restrictions on foreign property ownership.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, leaning left, supports legislation promoting a “multicultural coexistence society” to address socioeconomic shifts linked to the growing foreign population.
Currently, around 3.77 million foreigners reside in Japan.
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