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Reiwa Shinsengumi

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Reiwa Shinsengumi
れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ
Co-leadersTaro Yamamoto
Akiko Oishi
Mari Kushibuchi
FounderTaro Yamamoto
Founded1 April 2019 (2019-04-01)
Split fromLiberal Party
Headquarters1F, Akasaka-Kōei Bldg. 3-2-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
IdeologyProgressivism
Left-wing populism
Political positionLeft-wing[1]
Colors  Pink[2][3]
Slogan「日本にっぽんを守まもる」とは、「あなたを守まもる」ことから始はじまる
("Nihon wo mamoru to ha anata wo mamoru kotokara hajimaru."
"Protecting Japan starts with protecting you.")[4]
Councillors
5 / 248
Representatives
3 / 465
Prefectural assembly members
0 / 2,644
Municipal assembly members[5]
54 / 29,135
Website
reiwa-shinsengumi.com
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Reiwa Shinsengumi (Japanese: れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ) is a progressive[6][7] and left-wing populist[8][9] political party in Japan founded by actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto in April 2019. The party was formed by left-wing members of the Liberal Party who opposed its merger with the Democratic Party for the People.[10] The party won more than 4% of the vote after contesting the House of Councilors election in July 2019, gaining two seats only about three and a half months after the formation of the party.[11]

History

[edit]

Founding

[edit]

Taro Yamamoto, a member of the House of Councillors for Tokyo, founded the party on 1 April 2019. This was with the intent of standing multiple candidates, including himself, in the upcoming House of Councillors election later in the year.[10] On 10 April, Yamamoto held a press conference and announced the party's platform.[12]

2019 House of Councillors election

[edit]

The party stood multiple candidates in the 2019 House of Councillors election. The party won 2.2 million votes in the national PR block, exceeding the 2% threshold needed to be recognised as a political party, and securing two seats. Nearly one million votes were cast for Yamamoto personally; however, because the party had nominated Yasuhiko Funago and Eiko Kimura, both of whom have disabilities,[13] ahead of him in the party list, Yamamoto did not win a seat.[14] The National Diet Building was adapted to allow barrier-free access for wheelchair users.

Notable party members include university professor Ayumi Yasutomi and former deputy representative of the North Korean abduction liaison Toru Hasuike.

2020 Tokyo gubernatorial election

[edit]

Yamamoto was one of the 22 candidates participating in the 2020 Tokyo gubernatorial election, coming in third place with 10.72% of the votes. The party promises included a direct cash handout programme due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

2021 Japanese general election

[edit]

Yamamoto joined with the leaders of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Japanese Communist Party, and Social Democratic Party in running a joint opposition coalition based on common policy goals.[16] Yamamoto, who had been formerly running in Tokyo's 8th district, withdrew to run in the Tokyo PR block to avoid vote splitting against the CDP's Harumi Yoshida. The withdrawal came following pushback from local residents, who were hesitant to vote for Yamamoto, a "parachute candidate," over Yoshida, who had been active within the community for many years prior.[17] The party further withdrew 7 candidates as part of the joint platform to avoid vote splitting between the opposition parties, accounting for 40% of Reiwa Shinsengumi's planned slate of candidates.[18][19]

There are 20 other candidates besides Yamamoto, running under the Reiwa Shinsengumi banner. One of them is Takashi Takai, who was expelled from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan after ignoring COVID-19 state of emergency laws.[20] Takai is Reiwa Shinsengumi's only sitting legislator, formerly elected on the CDP list for the Chūgoku proportional representation block. Takai will be running at Shiga Prefecture's 3rd District.[21]

2022 House of Councillors election

[edit]

Yamamoto announced his resignation from the House of Representatives he was elected to in 2021 general election, and contested in Tokyo metropolitan constituency.[22] Reiwa gained three seats in the election: Yamamoto winning a seat in Tokyo, along with two other candidates who took up seats in the nationwide proportional representation block.[23][24]

Ideology and policies

[edit]

Reiwa Shinsengumi has been described as progressive,[6][7] left-wing populist,[8][9] and sits on the left of the left–right political spectrum.[1] Some scholars classify the party's views as radical left-wing.[25] Eder-Ramsauer and Matsutani describe Reiwa Shinsengumi as an eclectic left-wing populist party that blends emancipate radical democratic politics with an openness to communitarian ideas against neoliberals.[26] On the other hand, Axel Klein who takes an ideational approach, writes that the party does not meet the criteria that define (left) populism.[27]

The party is variously described as being anti-austerity, anti-establishment,[9][28][29] and anti-nuclear power[30] as well as supporting animal welfare,[30] minority rights,[30][31] and economic interventionism.[32] The party is sometimes considered a "liberal-populist" party,[33] and the main supporters of this party are also left-liberals.[34][35]

In a press conference held shortly after the founding of the party in 2019, Yamamoto announced that his party would push for the abolition of the consumption tax and instead, make the corporation tax a progressive tax and increase government bonds.[36] In addition, he said that the party is against the construction of the Henoko base. In 2019, the party also said it would: ban nuclear power entirely, raise the minimum wage to ¥1,500 per hour with public guarantee, implement laws protecting free education, disability rights, LGBT rights, animal rights, institute a basic income of ¥30,000 (circa $283 as of September 2020) per person per month whenever inflation is below 2% (benefits would end whenever inflation is not below the threshold and resume if it goes below again), and reinforce social services.[37]

The party has announced that it would reverse/abolish many of the laws that were revised or passed by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe if elected, including the pre-emptive anti-terrorism law such as martial law State Secrecy Law and the 2015 Japanese military legislation.[citation needed]

Leader

[edit]
No. Name
(Birth–death) 		Constituency / title Term of office Election results Image Prime Minister (term)
Took office Left office
Split from: a part of Liberal Party (2016) (centre-left)
1 Taro Yamamoto
(b. 1974) 		Cou for Tokyo
(21 July 2013 – 21 July 2019 and 25 July 2022 – present)
Rep for Tokyo PR block
(31 October 2021 – 15 April 2022) 		1 April 2019 Incumbent
2019
Unopposed
2022
Taro Yamamoto – 8.83
Mari Kushibuchi and Akiko Oishi – 4.36
Tsunehira Furuya – 3.81
 Abe S. 2012–2020
Suga 2020–2021
Kishida 2021–2024
Ishiba 2024–present

Election results

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House of Representatives

[edit]
Election Leader Candidates Seats Position Constituency votes PR Block votes Government
No. ± Share Number % Number %
2021 Taro Yamamoto 21
3 / 465
 new 0.6% 7th 248,280 0.43% 2,215,648 3.86% Opposition

House of Councillors

[edit]
Election Leader Candidates Seats Nationwide Prefecture Status
Total Won Votes % Votes %
2019 Taro Yamamoto 10
2 / 245
2 / 124
 2,280,252 4.6 214,438 0.4 Opposition
2022 14
5 / 248
3 / 125
 2,319,157 4.4 989,716 1.9 Opposition

Tokyo gubernatorial

[edit]
Election Candidate Votes % Finishing place Result
2020 Taro Yamamoto 657,277 10.72 3rd Lost

Tokyo prefectural

[edit]
Election Leader Votes % Seats
2021 Taro Yamamoto 37,299 0.80
0 / 127

Notes

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b
    • Thisanka Siripala (6 August 2019). "Japan's Upper House Election Results A Win for Diversity". The Diplomat. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
    • Daisuke Minami (2 August 2019). "Is Populism Finally Coming to Japan?". The Japan Times. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
    • "Japan's first severely disabled lawmakers join parliament". BBC News. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  2. ^ 色いろもいろいろ東京とうきょう都知事とちじ選せん 候補者こうほしゃが「イメージカラー」に込こめた思おもいは [In the Tokyo gubernatorial election, candidates express their intentions through their chosen "image colors"]. Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). 26 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020. "ピンクをイメージカラーにするのは、れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ代表だいひょうの山本やまもと太郎たろうさん ... 2019年ねんの結党けっとう以来いらい、党とうのロゴにも使つかい続つづける。" [Reiwa Shinsengumi's leader, Taro Yamamoto, chooses pink as their signature color ... they have been using it consistently in the party's logo since its founding in 2019.]
  3. ^ 【野党やとうウオッチ】異色いしょくの戦法せんぽう「れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ」際立きわだつパフォーマンス. The Sankei News (in Japanese). 20 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2020. 会場かいじょうの広場ひろばにはれいわ新選しんせん組ぐみのシンボルカラーであるピンクの幟のぼり（のぼり）が林立りんりつし、...
  4. ^ "れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみのチラシ" (in Japanese). れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  5. ^ "地方ちほう公共こうきょう団体だんたいの議会ぎかいの議員ぎいん及および長ちょうの所属しょぞく党派とうは別べつ人員じんいん調ちょう等とう（令れい和わ５年ねん１２月じゅうにがつ３１日にち現在げんざい）" (PDF). 総務そうむ省しょう. 10 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b Robert J. Pekkanen; Steven R. Reed; Daniel M. Smith, eds. (2023). Japan Decides 2021: The Japanese General Election. Springer Nature. p. 65. ISBN 9783031113246. Reiwa Shinsengumi is usually viewed as a progressive populist party.
  7. ^ a b Brasor, Philip (20 July 2019). "Citizen campaigns seek to increase voter turnout in Upper House election". The Japan Times. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b
  9. ^ a b c Minami, Daisuke (2 August 2019). "Is Populism Finally Coming to Japan?". The Japan Times. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. ^ a b "山本やまもと太郎たろう氏し「れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ」設立せつりつ 「この国くにの人々ひとびと、お守もりいたす」". The Sankei News (in Japanese). 10 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  11. ^ 「れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ」山本やまもと太郎たろう氏しが立たち上あげ 野党やとう結集けっしゅうが狙ねらい. Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). 11 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  12. ^ 山本やまもと太郎たろう・参院さんいん議員ぎいんが新党しんとう『れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ』を結党けっとう 消費しょうひ税ぜい廃止はいしを公約こうやくに [House of Councillors member Taro Yamamoto founds a new party called "Reiwa Shinsengumi" with a pledge to abolish the consumption tax] (in Japanese). 12 April 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  13. ^ Funago with ALS and Kimura with cerebral palsy
  14. ^ "Reiwa Shinsengumi makes splash in Japanese election debut, giving voice to people with disabilities". 22 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  15. ^ Submission, Internal (15 June 2020). "Reiwa Shinsengumi leader Taro Yamamoto to run for Tokyo governor". The Japan Times. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  16. ^ Johnston, Eric (13 October 2021). "Major opposition parties in Japan unite in attempt to dislodge LDP". The Japan Times. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  17. ^ 「山本やまもと太郎たろう氏しに鼻はなをつまんで投票とうひょうしない」 東京とうきょう8区くで街頭がいとう抗議こうぎ [Protesters in Tokyo 8th district vow not to vote for Taro Yamamoto]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 10 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  18. ^ れいわ・山本やまもと太郎たろう氏し ドタバタ比例ひれい立候補りっこうほで失うしなった「山本やまもと太郎たろう」の名前なまえ…無効むこう票ひょう危惧きぐ（東ひがしスポWeb）. Yahoo! News Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  19. ^ Kitami, Hideki. "Opposition leader does about-face after backlash". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  20. ^ "CDP lawmaker expelled from party over hostess bar visit amid emergency". The Japan Times. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  21. ^ れいわ、立たて民みん除籍じょせきの高井たかい氏しを擁立ようりつ 衆院しゅういん選せん滋賀しが３区く [Reiwa [Shinsengumi] nominates Takai, who was expelled from the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), as their candidate for the Shiga 3rd district in the House of Representatives election]. Kyoto Shimbun (in Japanese). 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Japan party leader Taro Yamamoto resigns from lower house, sets sights on upper chamber". Mainichi Daily News. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  23. ^ "参院さんいん選せん 東京とうきょう 選挙せんきょ速報そくほう・開票かいひょう結果けっか【随時ずいじ更新こうしん】". 読売新聞よみうりしんぶんオンライン (in Japanese). 22 June 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  24. ^ "LDP, Constitutional Revisionists Strong in 2022 Upper House Election". nippon.com. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  25. ^ Mizushima, Jiro (18 July 2022). "ポピュリズムが支持しじされる理由りゆう" [Why populism is gaining support]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 July 2022. ... れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみのような急進きゅうしん左派さは的てきな主張しゅちょうを掲かかげる新あたらしい政党せいとうが支持しじを集あつめてきており ... [... On the other hand, new political parties with radical left views, such as Reiwa Shinsengumi, are gaining support ...]
  26. ^ "Varieties of Populism in Japan Reiwa Shinsengumi". Taylor & Francis eBooks. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  27. ^ Klein, Axel (15 May 2020). "Is There Left Populism In Japan? The Case Of Reiwa Shinsengumi". The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Reiwa Shinsengumi makes splash in Japanese election debut, giving voice to people with disabilities". The Japan Times. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  29. ^ "Man with Lou Gehrig's disease wins seat in Japan's parliament for 1st time". Kyodo News. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  30. ^ a b c 政策せいさく れいわ新選しんせん組ぐみ. reiwa-shinsengumi.com (in Japanese). 11 July 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  31. ^ NEWS, KYODO. "New anti-establishment political group makes big strides in Japan". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  32. ^ Blondy, Théophile (21 July 2019). "Le Reiwa Shinsengumi un parti " populiste "". Le Petit Journal (in French). Retrieved 26 July 2019. Le programme appelle directement et sur presque tous les sujets à un interventionnisme plus marqué de l'Etat;
  33. ^ Helen Hardacre; Timothy S. George; Keigo Komamura; Franziska Seraphim, eds. (2021). Japanese Constitutional Revisionism and Civic Activism. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 136. ISBN 9781793609052. ... Sometimes regarded as a "liberal-populist" party, a new political party, Reiwa Shinsengumi, arose in a "riot" of people who believed they have been marginalized by Japanese capitalism and democracy.26 The party's charismatic leader, ...
  34. ^ "El PLD del asesinado Shinzo Abe logra una holgada victoria en los comicios en Japón" [Murdered Shinzo Abe's LDP Achieves a Hollow Victory in Commissions in Japan]. El HuffPost (in Spanish). 11 July 2022. El Partido Comunista de Japón ha logrado en estos comicios 4 escaños, que junto a los que ya tenía en la otra mitad suman 11; y el liberal Reiwa Shinsengumi (liberal), 3 asientos, hasta sumar 5, según los resultados divulgados. El resto de escaños se han repartido entre partidos minoritarios y candidatos independientes. [The Communist Party of Japan has won 4 seats in these elections, which together with those it already had in the other half add up to 11; and the liberal Reiwa Shinsengumi (liberal), 3 seats, up to a total of 5, according to the published results. The rest of the seats have been distributed between minority parties and independent candidates.]
  35. ^ Helen Hardacre; Timothy S. George; Keigo Komamura; Franziska Seraphim, eds. (2021). Japanese Constitutional Revisionism and Civic Activism. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 86. ISBN 9781793609052. Reiwa Shinsengumi—a new party formed after the 2019 House of Councillors' election, single-handedly carrying the hopes of left-wing liberals—and the Communist Party jointly demanded "protection of Article 9 as is" (kyūjō goken).
  36. ^ れいわ旋風せんぷうで読よめぬ「ステルス票ひょう」与野党よやとうは戦々恐々せんせんきょうきょう (in Japanese). 16 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  37. ^ "Reiwa Shinsengumi – Policies". Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
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