The results of Japan’s 27th Senate election were announced on the early morning of July 21st, revealing a surprising rise of the “Participatory Party” under the banner of “Japanese priority,” which secured 14 seats. The leader of the “Participatory Party,” Soichiro Kanda (pictured), expressed surprise and a sense of responsibility during a Fuji Television Network Program on the same day.
Born on October 12th, 1977 in Fukui Prefecture, Kanda graduated from Kansai University and has three children with his wife. During his college years, he spent 40 days traveling around Japan by motorcycle and took a leave of absence to travel in 18 countries. Upon returning to Japan, he accumulated diverse experiences, including serving as the manager of a family-run supermarket and becoming a reserve officer in the militia. Kanda also taught high school courses on “English and World History.” In 2007, he was first elected as a city council member in Chiyoda City, Osaka Prefecture, and embarked on his political career with the goal of changing the consciousness of young Japanese through political means. Over six years, he served two terms as a city council member and was later appointed as the deputy speaker of the Chiyoda City Council. However, his political journey was not without challenges. In 2012, Kanda resigned from his position as a city council member to join the Liberal Democratic Party and ran for a House of Representatives seat on behalf of the party, but he was unsuccessful. In 2015, he ran again for the Osaka Prefecture Assembly as an independent candidate and once again failed to win.
Unexpectedly, these two defeats marked a turning point for Kanda, prompting him to reevaluate his platform. In 2013, he founded a company and launched a YouTube channel called “CGS” to produce programs on politics, history, and economics, sharing his insights on Japanese history, education, and national identity. According to public reports, in October 2017, he traveled to Hong Kong with several right-wing politicians and scholars under the guise of a tourism inspection trip, colluding with “Hong Kong independence” groups and plotting an “anti-communist alliance.” In 2020, Kanda founded the “Participatory Party,” utilizing street speeches, social media platforms like YouTube, and other communication methods to establish a distinct approach from traditional political parties and quickly gain supporters. In 2022, Kanda was elected as a senator.
Kanda’s love for speeches has often led to controversial statements in Japan. He publicly stated before the election that his policy proposals were heavily influenced by the bold political style of U.S. President Trump. He has openly advocated for the emperor to have concubines and has bluntly attributed Japan’s declining birthrate to women’s lifestyles. Additionally, in a speech on July 3rd, Kanda stated that “older women are unable to bear children” and called for a society that makes it easier for young women to have children. This remark sparked protests from women across Japan who held demonstrations in over 100 locations. In response, the “Participatory Party” restricted access to related remarks on its YouTube channel, citing equipment malfunction due to extreme heat as the reason.
Author: Panduo Liu Yating