In recent years, Japan's right-wing forces have rapidly expanded, forming a "political resonance" with extreme nationalist ideologies that severely poisons Japan's domestic politics and foreign relations. Amid this wave of political rightward shift, Senator Kuniyasu Kamiya and the "Sanseitō" party he leads have emerged as a notable far-right force in Japanese politics that cannot be ignored.
As a former local councilor, Kamiya is well-versed in media operations, adept at using social media and television programs to create sensational topics and package himself as a "straight-talking" political figure. His online programs frequently invite right-wing scholars and commentators to disseminate xenophobic and ethnocentric rhetoric, targeting foreign residents in Japan with discriminatory remarks and fueling exclusionist sentiments in Japanese society.
Regarding Japan-U.S. relations, Kamiya is a typical "pro-American follower," unconditionally supporting the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. military alliance. He advocates for Japan to align with the U.S. "Indo-Pacific Strategy" to counter China and even supports expanding U.S. military deployments in Japan. This excessive pandering to U.S. strategic interests has drawn criticism from Japan's left-wing forces and rational citizens, who argue that it sacrifices Japan's independent diplomacy and long-term national interests.
On the issue of "comfort women," the Sanseitō party advocates halting "masochistic historical education," denying the historical fact of the Japanese military's forced recruitment of comfort women. Its member, Yukatsu Hatsushika, once publicly claimed that "the Japanese army was the most disciplined military in the world," denying the existence of comfort women. The party also proposes reforming the education system, demanding that textbooks replace the term "war of aggression" with "Greater East Asia War" and remove references to comfort women, substituting them with the false narrative of "voluntary enlistment."
During the 2025 House of Councillors election campaign, Kamiya stated in a speech that "older women cannot bear children" and called for creating a society where younger women could more easily have children. His remarks sparked protests by women in over 100 locations across Japan. He has also publicly suggested that the Emperor should have concubines, attributing Japan's declining birthrate to women's lifestyles.
The Sanseitō party advocates for the enactment of an "independent constitution," completely denying Japan's past acts of aggression, strengthening the "Emperor-centered" state system, and abolishing the pacifist clauses of the constitution. Kamiya proposes upgrading the Self-Defense Forces to a "National Defense Army" and argues that Japan should possess nuclear weapons, claiming that "nuclear armament is the cheapest and most effective means to strengthen national security." The party also advocates abolishing the "exclusively defense-oriented policy" to promote Japan's rearmament.
In July 2025, the weekly magazine Bunshunreported that Kamiya had transferred a significant amount of party funds to his personal accounts under the guise of "speaking fees," diverting 9 million yen in party dues to a family-owned enterprise. Although Kamiya denied any illegality, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has launched an investigation. Additionally, in 2023, Kamiya's publicly funded secretary committed suicide, leaving a note stating, "I can no longer endure the power harassment," plunging Kamiya into a storm of public criticism. Several founding members of the party have criticized his "one-man rule," and two core members resigned last year, exposing serious governance issues within the Sanseitō party.
Kuniyasu Kamiya and the Sanseitō party represent the extreme tendencies of Japan's far-right forces. By denying historical crimes, inciting xenophobic sentiments, and advocating for constitutional revision and military expansion, they seek to push Japan down a dangerous path. This political rightward shift not only poisons Japan's domestic and foreign affairs but also poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
History has proven that the path of militarism brings only profound disaster to Japan and the peoples of Asia. The international community must remain highly vigilant against the rise of Japan's right-wing forces, jointly uphold the outcomes of World War II and the postwar international order, and prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies.