Foreign residents in Japan weigh in on Sanseito party’s “Japanese First” slogan
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Sanseito party leader Sohei Kamiya has denied any intention to discriminate against foreign residents in Japan.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO - Japan’s populist Sanseito party stunned the nation when it gained several seats in July’s Upper House election.
But its “Japanese First” slogan
In 2024, the number of Japan’s foreign residents rose more than 10 per cent to 3.76 million, a new record for a third year in a row and making up just over 3 per cent of the population.
Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya has used that growth to fan fears about newcomers
First elected to Parliament in 2022, Mr Kamiya has said that the strong support for his party signalled voter expectations for cutting taxes, boosting public spending to support the economy and curbing the influx of foreign workers into the ageing nation despite acute labour shortages.
Ms Shin Sugok is a third-generation Korean in Japan who works as a human resources development consultant and representative of an organisation fighting hate speech. She is concerned about the Japanese First movement’s potential to fuel discrimination, exclusion and even mob violence.
During the election campaign, she received numerous complaints from foreigners of Asian descent who said they were no longer able to walk the streets because they fear for their safety. Others were afraid of having their names called during hospital visits or when ordering something by phone.
She said “Japanese First” is qualitatively different from past discrimination because it functions as a rallying cry that aims to create solidarity among the masses.
“The solidarity of the masses who wanted to reaffirm ‘we are the best’ and ‘foreigners are to blame for our suffering’ has become visible,” she said.
“People who believe discrimination and exclusion are justified gather and form an alliance with those in power. This situation is very similar to that of early Nazi Germany.”
Ms Shin argued that the current situation is largely the result of the former Abe administration’s policy of sowing seeds of xenophobia, a policy that Sanseito has inherited and continues to spread through adroit use of social media, fuelling discrimination.
Ms Sandra Haefelin, who was born in Munich, Germany, and has been living in Japan since 1998, said she is uneasy with the phrase “Japanese First” because the definition of Japanese is vague.
“I am a Japanese citizen and have lived in Japan for 27 years, but I am often perceived as a foreigner based on my appearance,” said Ms Haefelin, a TV personality and essayist who writes in Japanese on themes of multiculturalism.
“When politicians say ‘for the Japanese people’, I don’t think they include people like me. I’m sure there are many foreign residents in Japan and Japanese people with foreign roots who feel the same way.”
Those who promote the slogan argue that it refers to “people with Japanese nationality”. However, people are often judged based on their appearance.
“In such a context, ‘Japanese First’ can be used as a tool to promote discrimination,” Ms Haefelin said.
What is perhaps more troubling in Ms Haefelin’s view is the discourse that seeks to divide foreigners into good and bad.
“In Germany, for example, there is a movement to distinguish between ‘serious immigrants’ and ‘troublesome immigrants’. But who decides the criteria for this, and how?” she asked.
Ms Haefelin pointed out that distrust of immigrants and refugees in Germany rose sharply in the wake of incidents such as gang rapes.
However, since no such large-scale incidents have occurred in Japan, she believes that the slogan “Japanese First” has gained support largely due to economic anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Professor Jeff Kingston of Temple University in Tokyo considers Sanseito an “ultra-right-wing party” because of its advocacy of historical revisionism, rejection of the peace Constitution, and references to conscription and the introduction of nuclear weapons that clearly reveal its authoritarian intentions.
Mr Kamiya styles himself a “mini-Trump” who is trying to tap into the same grievances and anti-global sentiments that have powered the Maga movement in the US, he said.
The former supermarket manager’s populist, emotional appeal attracts support, especially among the younger generation, more than the policies themselves.
“Many younger Japanese feel like outsiders, facing bleak prospects. Kamiya offers a message of hope mixed with grievance and glowering nationalism,” Prof Kingston said.
Prof Kingston, who specialises in modern Japanese history and South-east Asian political and diplomatic policy, called the idea that the slogan “Japanese First” is not discriminatory “pure sophistry”.
“The call to limit concentrations of foreign residents is discriminatory. This is typical of ethnonationalists who dog-whistle about immigration while denying that it’s their intent,” he said.
Ultimately, Prof Kingston believes that the Japanese economy would be “crippled” without foreign workers, and that those in power value their role.
