When the ruling Liberal Democratic Party negotiated and forged a new coalition with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP) last month, foreign media were quick to pull out labels in an attempt to introduce the then-opposition party to global readers. One news agency labeled the reformist party as “right-leaning,” without explaining any of their platforms, which The Japan Times also published.
It is an inaccurate label. While the JIP calls for a more muscular military posture to defend against China — as do many other parties, including the LDP — the party also promises free high school education, universal basic income and protection of LGBTQ+ rights. Those policies are rather liberal, or even arguably progressive, in a Western context.
Confusing? Indeed.
In Japan, the left-right label doesn’t apply as conveniently as in the United States or Europe. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party, seeks to project itself as “centrist,” but in truth there’s no clear way to pin Japanese political parties onto the familiar left-right spectrum. Political coverage about Japan by English-language media that casually uses “right” or “left” may reflect outdated assumptions, or worse, lazy labeling masquerading as analysis.
During the Cold War, parties aligned themselves neatly: sympathizers of the socialist East meant “left,” while those leaning toward the capitalist West meant “right.” On security, the lines were even more clear-cut. The Japan Socialist Party (JSP) pushed for unarmed neutrality; the LDP backed the U.S.-Japan alliance. In Japan, the left-right dichotomy has largely centered around national security.
In other countries, the left/right dichotomy usually centers around economic and social ideologies. But in Japan, nearly every party campaigns on some form of expansionary fiscal policy — whether it be pork-barrel spending, more and better welfare for citizens of all ages and these days, free education. Shorn of clear ideological markers, Japanese political parties are often labeled by foreign media along the lines of “right-leaning JIP” or “far-right Sanseito.” It’s shorthand that certainly saves the reader from long-winded explanations — but comes at the expense of accuracy.
If the binary left-right comparison doesn’t tell much, then what indicates the leanings of Japanese political parties? Manifestos and remarks by party leaders could be deceptive — those are crafted to woo as many voters as they can, and are tossed aside once elections are over. More consistent indicators of parties are how they were formed and who backs them. Origins and constituencies matter far more than rhetoric.
After the end of World War II freed the country from military oppression, members of parliament — all of whom were elected as independents — set out to create new political parties. The Liberal Party and the Japan Democratic…