, Columnist
Japan’s Right-Wing Fringe Is No MAGA or Reform
A spike in approval for a minor party is alarming some ahead of elections. But the nation lacks the kindling for a populist fire.
Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/AFP/Getty Images
Plenty of contentious issues loom ahead of Sunday’s elections in Japan: A shrinking economy, falling real wages, and no trade deal to shield against President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
But the narrative has instead been dominated by a fringe group and its chatter about the nation’s growing cohort of foreign residents.