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Paper short abstract

This paper presents the conspiratorial discourse of an emerging Japanese party from an interpretive perspective and asks why conspiracy theories are so often used by political actors who paradoxically seek to become part of the mainstream.

Paper long abstract

Sanseitō is a far-right challenger party founded in 2020 and gained its initial set of seats on a platform criticizing COVID-19 vaccines, pandemic measures, and other policies related to fringe conspiracy theories. The party broke into the mainstream during its 2025 Tokyo Assembly and the Upper House election campaigns, which both centered on the party's nativist platform under the slogan "Japanese First" (Nipponjin fāsuto). The party's subsequent success---particularly its staggering 14 new seats in the National Diet---suggested a latent demand for more stringent controls on immigration policy and inbound tourism.

Challenger parties typically seek to exploit their comparative advantages: its anti-immigration platform (aided by its overall credible and professional image) allowed it to outmaneuver the pro-business LDP, other rightwing conservatives, and the liberal opposition as the media framed the issue as a legitimate concern held by a growing number of Japanese voters. By contrast, conspiracy theories are socially costly and unlikely to be taken up by the mass media. One would therefore be excused in expecting the party to tone down its extreme rhetoric as it instead expanded its far-right political platform.

And yet, the party rapidly doubled down on some of its most extreme claims. In the immediate aftermath of UH elections, Sanseitō re-committed to its anti-COVID-19 vaccine rhetoric and its belief that the LGBTQ movement is part of a Cultural Marxist scheme to undermine the domestic traditions and security. Moreover, the party continues to use its limited resources to call attention to these issues. This raises the question: why are conspiracy theories so often used by political actors who paradoxically seek to become part of the mainstream? This chapter uses the case of the far-right conspiracy party Sanseitō to shed light on what conspiracy theories do for political actors. It focuses on the interpretive role of conspiracies, analyzing Diet interactions, public media appearances, and the party's official YouTube channel. In doing so, it gives valuable insights into the ways in which politicians represent their constituents through the advancement of conspiracy theories.