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Paper short abstract

The paper examines how far Japanese right-wing “peripheral parties” have resorted to conspiracy and anti-science claims in their operations from 2020 onwards. It contributes to scholarship on the symbiosis between right-leaning orientation and use of such narratives from a sociological perspective.

Paper long abstract

Post-COVID-19 Japan faces a critical juncture brought forward by a deteriorating regional presence, a weakened economy and questions about domestic order linked to the inflow of foreign workers and tourists into the country, all of which have contributed to producing a climate of societal anxiety and distrust. A visible consequence of this state of affairs has been the rise of conspiracy theories (CTs), misinformation and disinformation, and challenges to epistemic authority in Japan.

The recent emergence of and rapidly growing support for a fringe populist far-right political party, Sanseitō, not only surprised the leading Liberal Democratic Party, which had dominated Japan’s national politics for most of the period since the end of the Asia-Pacific War in 1945, but it also symbolised the risk of crumbling stability and democratic values in contemporary Japan. A skilful utilisation of conspiratorial and anti-science claims was crucial to Sanseitō’s success. Yet, Sanseitō is far from the only actor mobilising such narratives in its political operations.

Based on online ethnographic, documentary and interview materials, this paper examines how far Japanese right-wing “peripheral parties” (Kefford 2017) have resorted to conspiracy theories and anti-science narratives in their operations from 2020 to the present day, drawing on cases of selected actors, such as Saisei no Michi (The Path to Rebirth), Kōfukujitsugentō (Happiness Realisation Party), Shimingatsukuru seiji no kai (Mintsuku), Tsubasa no tō, and Nihon seishinkai (Japan Spirit Society). As evidenced by a large-scale anti-vaccination campaign in July 2024 that invoked the “protecting people from the World Health Organization” rhetoric, the idea is widely supported, appropriated, and reproduced among the population that may consume narratives from like-minded political organisations and peripheral parties.

Hence, this paper examines the growing social impact of the production and consumption of conspiratorial claims among the Japanese population, drawing on the circulation of such claims in communication of peripheral political actors who are often active in local political life and in greater proximity to citizens. Furthermore, the paper contributes to recent scholarship on the symbiosis between right-leaning political orientation and the use of conspiracy theories and anti-science narratives from a sociological perspective.