22-07-2025

Japan's Politics Enters a Messy New Era

Date: 22-07-2025
Sources: economist.com: 3
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Image Source:

Source: economist.com

Image content: The image depicts a group of people gathered together, likely for a political campaign. The main subject is a man in the center, wearing a white polo shirt and holding a sash with Japanese characters on it, who appears to be the central figure. The content shows the group of people, mostly men and women of Asian descent, dressed in casual attire, with some wearing white shirts and others wearing blue or yellow sashes with Japanese writing. The image conveys a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among the group.

Summary

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is struggling to connect with young voters ahead of the Upper House elections, while a populist upstart, Tamaki Yuichiro, is gaining traction by tapping into their frustration, leading to a significant loss for the LDP and a shift towards populism and polarization in Japanese politics.

Key Points

  • Liberal Democratic Party struggled to connect with young voters
  • Populist politician Tamaki Yuichiro gained traction among young voters
  • LDP suffered significant loss in upper-house elections, losing majority

Articles in this Cluster

Japan’s politics is entering a messy new era

Japan's politics is entering a messy new era ahead of the Upper House elections, with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the long-time ruling party, struggling to connect with young voters, as evident from its awkward TikTok debut featuring Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, while a populist upstart, Tamaki Yuichiro, is gaining traction by tapping into young people's frustration.

Populism and polarisation come to Japan

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a significant loss in the upper-house elections, losing 19 seats and its majority in the upper chamber for the first time since 2013. The result is a major setback for Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, who has faced calls for his resignation. The LDP's poor performance is seen as a sign of growing populism and polarization in Japan's politics, with the party's long-time dominance being challenged by newer, more populist forces.

Tamaki Yuichiro, Japan’s populist upstart who wants to be prime minister

Tamaki Yuichiro is a populist politician in Japan who aims to become prime minister. He has gained popularity among young voters with his campaign slogan "Increase take-home pay," which resonates with their frustration. Tamaki's energetic leadership is shaking up Japan's politics ahead of the Upper House elections, tapping into the discontent among younger generations.