Sanseito party courts Trump allies, vows not to get wacky

Japan’s far-right Sanseito party has set up an international arm to court Trump allies such as Steve Bannon and like-minded groups in Europe, betting that global conservative recognition will help it shake up staid Japanese politics, according to four party officials.

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Shigeru Ishiba

Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and the perceived influence of global elites, Sanseito broke into mainstream politics in a July election with fiery warnings about foreigners. Now, as Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party picks a new leader to steady its shaky administration, Sanseito is seeking to raise its international profile to lend credibility to its challenge for power and influence. “It's clear that we no longer live in an era where Japan can determine its course alone,” party leader Sohei Kamiya told Reuters in an interview. “So we want to get our message out abroad first,” he said, adding that this would help circumvent what he considers a pro-establishment domestic media. To spearhead this effort, the party established an international division in Tokyo in September to accelerate a strategy of engaging with people in President Donald Trump's orbit and European right-wing figures, according to Kamiya and three other Sanseito officials as well as US disclosure documents.