Focus on Foreign Policy Shapes Heated Japan Election Campaign
(MENAFN) Debates over policies concerning foreigners have become a pivotal topic in the intense campaigning leading up to the July 20 elections for the House of Councilors, Japan’s upper parliamentary chamber, local news outlets reported Monday.
Smaller conservative opposition groups, notably the nationalist Sanseito party, which champions tighter restrictions on foreign residents under its "Japanese First" slogan, are gaining traction as support for the long-standing ruling coalition declines, a news agency highlighted.
Recent polls by various media show the party ranking second in voter preference, as political factions intensify their final efforts to secure dominance in the House of Councilors.
Sanseito advocates for terminating welfare benefits to foreigners, prohibiting their employment in government roles, and creating a unified immigration authority.
Additionally, the party promotes greater cultural assimilation demands for foreigners residing in Japan.
Experts predict that the debate will extend beyond immediate electoral tactics, cautioning that if xenophobic narratives—often lacking solid evidence—become more widely embraced, it may exacerbate discrimination and deepen societal rifts.
Exclusionary attitudes have proliferated on social media and beyond, fueled by concerns that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party is increasing initiatives to attract more foreigners to Japan.
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