Japan 2022 Upper House elections July 10

[warandwar]

PP stands for?!

Far-Right 参政党(PP) (Participation Party) seems to continue to gain steam.  The number of people that attend their rallies and watch online videos continues to rise rapidly.  There is growing speculation that they could be in a position to win a PR seat which is quite impressive they since have PNHK and HRP (which itself is Far-Right) as protest parties to peel off the anti-system vote as well as other Far-Right parties like 維新政党・新風 (IPS), 日本第一党(JFP) and 新党くにもり(NPC) in the fray to capture the Far-Right PR vote.

PP, sensing their momentum, seems to have gone all out and nominated candidates in pretty much all prefectures which says a lot about their fundraising capabilities.  

With this in mind, it would be useful to take a closer look at PP's platform.  

Their website is https://www.sanseito.jp/

and their logo is



First, PP or Participation Party is the name I made up for them.  They do not have an English name and in theory, their party name written in English is the phonetic version of 参政党 which is Sanseito.  参政党 means Participation Party which is why I prefer that for now until they ever come up with their official English name.

Their key platform points
a) Dramatic reduction of immigration and no voting rights for immigrants
b) Remilitariaton to be a part of an anti-PRC alliance in East Asia
c) Overturn the post-WWII international system with Japan being a full-blown equal to USA
d) Anti-Vax
e) Reduction of the power of banks with the promotion of digital currency and cryptos
f) Dramatic political decentralization with push for prefecture and even township rights (their "Do it yourself" slogan is part of this push)
g) Increased power of the Emperor (but not to pre-1945 levels)
h) Return Japanese culture to a pre-1945 era which an emphasis on pushing out foreign influence (especially removing the Western woke ideas)

If you watch their stump speeches it is clear that what is getting them to catch fire is the reduction of banking power, decentralization and their anti-Western woke stance.  Their success is a success of Right populism.  I can see them being a threat to JRP and could eat into the JRP vote.

Kind of funny that they emphasize eliminating Western influence on Japan but then have English (not just カタカナ言葉, but actual English) on their logo.

Japan pre-1945 notable for having no marks of Western influence...

[warandwar]

Does Komeito do well among Burakamin?

Burakumin are actually an interest group for Heisei Kenkyūkai, one of the relatively moderate LDP factions. Komeito probably does okay with them as well, but not as well as it might otherwise.

Regarding the questions about the JCP, it is no longer classically "commie" but is still focused on material issues. Shii Kazuo waving around a rainbow flag or talking about Japan somehow needing more abortion of all things would come across as transparently absurd to just about everyone (although my understanding is the JCP does support LGBT rights). Policy-wise they're basically old-ish-school social democrats right now.

They are the party school teachers vote for, essentially.