Conservative Party of Japan

The Conservative Party of Japan (日本保守党, Nihon Hoshutō) is a conservative,  Japanese nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Japan founded by novelist Naoki Hyakuta and journalist Kaori Arimoto in 2023, following the passage of the LGBT Understanding Promotion Act. The party, claiming to "protect Japan's national polity and traditional culture" is often characterised as being opposed to immigration, xenophobic, and uses historically revisionist rhetoric, with party leaders often engaging in discriminatory remarks towards foreigners and sexual minorities, as well as denying Japanese war crimes committed prior to and during the Second World War, such as the Nanjing Massacre.

The party is categorized as an alt-right entity within Japan's political spectrum due to its origins in online political discourse and the predominance of right-wing netizens among its membership. Founded by internet political commentators, the party's reliance on digital activism and the propagation of its viewpoints in online spaces solidify its reputation as a manifestation of the alt-right movement in Japan. The party has been the most followed Japanese political party on X (formerly Twitter) since September 2023.

The party opposes LGBT rights in Japan, immigration, and gender equality. It supports welfare chauvinism, revising the constitution, and a stronger foreign policy against China and North Korea. The Asahi Shimbun has noted that the party the draws its support from individuals previously affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) but grew dissatisfied with the moderate policies of party leader and prime minister Fumio Kishida.

History
On June 12, 2023, novelist and right-wing political commentator Naoki Hyakuta declared that he would run for the House of Representatives and form a new party if the LGBT Understanding Promotion Act, which at the time of his declaration was still in deliberations and debate in the National Diet, were to be passed. 4 days later on June 16, the bill in question was passed by the House of Representatives and enacted. As a result, he announced the formation of the party alongside journalist and fellow right-wing political commentator Kaori Arimoto. The party was launched on September 1, 2023 with a provisional name "Hyakuta New Party" (百田新党), while clarifying that official activities are scheduled to begin in October 2023. On September 2, 2023, party leader Hyakuta announced that he would reveal the party's official name if the party's official X account reached 200,000 followers. On September 13, 2023, the aforementioned account reached its goal of 200,000 followers, and the party's official name, the "Conservative Party of Japan" was announced.

On September 14, 2023, Kosaka Eiji [ ja], a previously Independent member of the Arakawa City Assembly joined the Conservative Party, giving the party its first ever seat in local assemblies. On October 17, 2023, during the party's first press conference, it was announced that the Nagoya-based regional party Genzei Nippon will merge with the party on a national level, with its founder and leader Takashi Kawamura, also the incumbent mayor of Nagoya, becoming the party's Deputy Leader.

Ideology and policies
The party asserts itself as a more right-wing alternative to the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party, the two main conservative parties in Japanese politics. With the party being formed after dissatisfaction arose towards the LDP following the election of Fumio Kishida as prime minister and LDP president in 2021 and the death of former prime minister and LDP president Shinzo Abe.

The party is opposed to same-sex marriage. It supports the revision of the LGBT Understanding Act, including the removal of provisions regarding LGBT-related education for children.

The party is in favour of revising Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution such as removing Section 2, which prohibits Japan from having a standing military force. The party is in favour of expanding sanctions against North Korea, such as to Chongryon-related organizations. The party is in favour of establishing stronger relations with Taiwan and has proposed to establish a Japanese counterpart to the Taiwan Relations Act.

The party is opposed to immigration, supporting the revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Act that allows authorities to detain and deport refugees who have been denied asylum. The party also advocates for review of the government's immigration policy, such as its decision to expand the number of specified skilled foreign workers and international students. The party is in favour of amending the Health Insurance Act in order to have a separate health insurance system for foreign residents.

The party vows to stop Japanese politics from becoming a "family business," such as by reducing the annual income of members of the Diet and local councilors to the salaries comparable to ordinary citizens.

Supporters
The party's primary origin of support come from Japanese netizens, particularly those from the right-wing. With party founders Hyakuta and Arimoto both themselves being influential figures in Japan's internet right-wing as political commentators, having an active following on various social media and video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Niconico through their ultraconservative views on social and political issues. The party is supported by conservatives who have been disappointed with the current state of the Liberal Democratic Party ever since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took power in 2021, claiming that the party had become too lenient on issues such as LGBT rights, immigration, and foreign policy. Liberal Democratic Party officials have expressed concern that they might lose voters to the Conservative Party as a result.

Despite the party's large presence online, it fails to attract support among ordinary voters. According to surveys conducted by the JX News Agency in October 2023, 74.8% did not know of the party's existence, 18.4% responded that they knew of the party's existence but will not vote for them, and only 6.9% responded that they both knew of the party's existence and are planning on voting for them. According to the same surveys, the majority of the party's supporters are males in their 50s and 60s, and a large fraction of the respondents who answered that they will support the party previously voted for Sanseitō, another far-right party, and the Democratic Party for the People, a centre-right party in past elections.

Anti-Korean sentiment
On October 30, 2023, party leader Hyakuta and secretary general Arimoto made derogatory remarks against the Korean people on a Niconico live stream, with the both of them stating that the "Korean people are human scum '' and "I want to sever diplomatic relations with South Korea and go to war. ''

Discrimination of sexual minorities
The party participated in the 2024 by-elections in the Tokyo 15th district with Islamic researcher and activist Akari Iiyama as candidate. As a result, a number of their supporters from various regions, despite not being constituents of the district, actively engaged in the party's street rallies and stump speeches. However, the party's advocacy of anti-LGBT sentiment and rhetoric resulted in the distribution of leaflets and posters, as well as megaphone speeches containing discriminatory remarks against sexual minorities throughout the constituency under the context of campaigning. As a result, the local activist group Crossover Koto condemned the party, stating that they felt "anger, anxiety, and sense of helplessness." The group also highlighted instances where members of the city's LGBT community were unable to leave their residences out of fear.

Denial of Japanese war crimes
Hyakuta has often expressed denial of Japanese war crimes committed before and during the Second World War, most notably the Nanjing Massacre. When he made the same remarks during his tenure as governor of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) in 2014, it brought international attention which led to his resignation a year later.

Kawamura has also made similar remarks during his term as Mayor of Nagoya, which resulted in the city of Nanjing suspending its sister-city relationship with Nagoya in 2012.

Historical negationism
Hyakuta, in an interview with Abema TV attempted to justify Japan's involvement in the Second World War, by claiming that Japan "liberated" Southeast Asia from the hands of Western imperialism at the time. He later claimed that if it wasn't for Japan, the world today would be "similar to hell" due to much of Asia still being a subject of Western powers as colonies up to the present day.

Hyakuta as a novelist, has written The Eternal Zero, a best-selling novel that was later adapted into a popular 2013 movie. The novel and film were criticized by many, including Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, for glorifying Japan's wartime past.