Populist Sanseito’s rise is eroding the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s dominance and reshaping Japan’s traditionally staid political landscape, as Maroosha Muzaffar reports

Populist ideals are gaining traction in Japan, spurred by right-wing politicians running rampant elsewhere railing against “elitism”, “globalism” and immigration.

Campaigning under the nationalist slogan “Japanese First,” the party capitalised on growing public frustration with immigration, inflation and the ruling coalition’s performance.View on euronews

The small rightwing populist party led by firebrand Sohei Kamiya won 14 seats in Sunday’s Upper House election.

Internal rivals and a resurgent nationalist right are jeopardising Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s already precarious position.

Japan’s shaky ruling coalition is likely to lose its majority in the upper house, exit polls showed after Sunday’s election, potentially heralding political turmoil as a tariff deadline with the United States looms.

The era of predictable elections is over, though Prime Minister Ishiba vows to remain in office. Mr. Kirk, based in Seoul and Washington, has been covering Asia for decades for newspapers and magazines and is the author of books on Korea, the Vietnam War and the Philippines.