A fringe far-right populist party Sanseito was one of the biggest winners in the weekend's upper house election, attracting many voters with “Japanese First" platform that included calling for tougher restrictions on foreigners and the curtailment of gender equality and diversity policies.

Hundreds showed up for Japan’s far-right Sanseito party’s rally on Monday (July 21) where supporters celebrated their victory in Tokyo after the fringe far-right party emerged as one of the biggest winners in the country's upper house election.

Sanseito, a Japanese populist party that draws inspiration from Donald Trump's politics, is gaining support ahead of Sunday's upper house elections, suggesting a notable shift in the country's traditionally centrist landscape.

The Sanseito party tapped into discontent over issues galvanizing voters worldwide: inflation, immigration and a political class dismissed as out of touch.

Its leader is a former supermarket manager who created his political party on YouTube in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic and campaigned on the Trumpian message “Japanese First.”

The fringe far-right Sanseito party emerged as one of the biggest winners in Japan's upper house election on Sunday, gaining support with warnings of a "silent invasion" of immigrants, and pledges for tax cuts and welfare spending.