‘Stop the invasion’: Far-right party in Japan gains popularity among locals fed up with foreigners

A far-right party in Japan is growing in popularity among locals frustrated by foreigners who are ignorant of the country’s social etiquette.

A growing number of Japanese voters are being drawn to the far-right Sanseito party, with some annoyed by foreigners they claim are ignorant of Japan’s social etiquette.

The party has used the online space to amplify its “Japanese First” message — helping it establish a strong foothold in an upper house election on Sunday, becoming the fourth largest opposition party in parliament.

Similarities have been made between the US President Donald Trump’s “America First” and the Sanseito party’s “Japan First” slogans, with Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya sometimes referred to as a “mini Trump” in the media.

Japanese man Yuta Kato is among the Sanseito supporters who obtain their information from YouTube and other social media sites.

“I think a lot of foreign visitors don’t know the rules that are obvious to us,” he said.

“Also in Ginza, you see people sitting anywhere — on steps and ledges. It doesn’t look good. “For the Japanese people living in Japan, it’s kind of annoying.”

Supporters of the Sanseito party gathered last week ahead of the upper house election. Picture: Kyodo News via AP

Japan’s foreign-born residents account for just 3 per cent of the total population, a fraction of the corresponding proportion in the United States and Europe, but record numbers of tourists have made foreigners more visible in major cities.

There was 3,768,977 — a record high number — of foreigners living in Japan last year, an increase of about 10.5 per cent on the previous year.

As for tourists, Japan had a record 36.9 million international visitors in 2024. About 920,000 of those were Australians — also a new record.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation says Japan has been heartened to see the pace at which tourists have returned to the country post-Covid, but urged travellers to consider lesser-known destinations to help avoid “overtourism” in hotspots – a trend popular cities across the world are grappling with.

Many Aussie travellers find the Japanese extremely welcoming of tourists, even if they don’t speak the language.

One of the Sanseito party’s policies listed on its website is to “stop the silent invasion of Japan by foreign forces”.

While Sanseito largely avoids identifying specific immigrant groups, Tokyo-based academic, Romeo Marcantuoni, says it taps into concerns ranging from badly-behaved tourists to conspiracy theories about sneaking Chinese influence.

“People who read newspapers and made their decisions based on that are voting for the traditional parties and people who are reading a lot of, rather, either reading a lot of blogs, reading a lot of social media posts, and looking at a lot of YouTube to make their decisions, they’re going more towards these anti-establishment parties,” Mr Marcantuoni said.

Sanseito is most popular among 18 to 39-year-olds, with men favouring the party more than women.

Sohei Kamiya is the leader of Japan's far-right populist Sanseito party. Picture: Kyodo News via AP

In contrast, support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which lost its majority in Sunday’s election, is deepest among those aged over 70.

Birthed during the Covid-19 pandemic when they spread conspiracy theories about vaccinations, Sanseito has broadened its appeal with its tough immigration policies and pledges to help households struggling with rising prices.

The rise of the party has sparked a backlash by those who fear it is normalising xenophobia.

One of the party’s policies listed on its website is to ‘stop the silent invasion of Japan by foreign forces’. Picture: TikTok / explore_with_me_e

Masayuki Nabekura, member of an anti-racism group, said Sanseito incites racial discrimination.

“It (Sanseito) condones violence and advocates nationalism, and it has made campaign promises that could easily condone the suppression of citizens who do not agree with them, so it is very dangerous,” he said.

Demonstrators took part in a 'protest rave' in Tokyo against racism and the Sanseito party ahead of the upper house election on July 13, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Louise Delmotte

The party did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and its leader has previously denied criticism that it is xenophobic.

At a recent rally, supporters said they are here to stay

“I think it is simple, everyone came to the Sanseito because they were all sick with the current political situation,” one supporter said.