A look at the Twitter account of the person who claimed responsibility for yesterday's Shibuya scramble crossing fire reveals past posts in which he enthusiastically supported the far-right Sanseito party.
He also appeared to have positive views of Prime Minister Takaichi.
The Japanese conspiracy theorist who set a fire in Shibuya scramble crossing was a follower of the Lotus Eaters, a right-wing English language podcast hosted by Carl Benjamin (Sargon of Akkad).
Prior to the crime, he left a message notifying them to take note of his actions.
It's been around for decades. Every time someone committed a heinous crime, one need only go online to see posts claiming the person was actually a Korean and the media is covering it up.
This guy is one of the more extreme ones, since he thinks the imperial family and Shinzo Abe were Korean too.
The website promoted by the Shibuya arsonist reveals him to be a far-right conspiracy theorist, obsessed with the idea that Zainichi Koreans have taken over Japan with the help of the "deep state."
In 2025 he wrote a letter asking Elon Musk and Trump for help.
I am quoted in this new article from the FCCJ's Number 1 Shimbun: Sanae Takaichi’s preference for populist messaging has left Japan’s mainstream media struggling to respond www.fccj.or.jp/number-1-shi...
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi is heading to Washington to meet Trump. The visit was set up before the US and Israel launched a war against Iran.
She now faces a difficult situation, with Trump using quotation marks to question if "allies" will secure the Straight of Hormuz.
In October Prime Minister Takaichi's declared she would throw away work-life balance and "work, work, work." It became Japan's buzzword of the year for 2025.
The media is reporting she had to cancel a diplomatic meeting yesterday because she was "sleep-deprived." news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0e1...
I spoke to India's Firstpost TV about Takaichi's election victory and the outlook for her relations with China and the United States:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i7F...
I was interviewed by Time Magazine about Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi's big election victory.
A lot of LDP politicians, including former Abe faction members who lost their seats in 2024, will be grateful to her and look to her leadership.
time.com/7372956/japa...
I was interviewed by the Telegraph for their coverage of Takaichi's election victory: "Japan puts faith in first female prime minister" www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
The LDP politician who called Abe a "traitor" and publicly rated Takaichi a 2/10 has won a seat in the Diet.
Takaichi punished him by placing him at a low position on the LDP's proportional representation list, but the party got enough votes for him to win anyway. news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6569167
Former LDP lawmaker Sugita Mio, who is infamous for her use of hate speech against Koreans & Ainu, failed to win a seat in Osaka's 5th district.
Prime Minister Takaichi didn't visit Osaka to campaign for LDP candidates(possibly to avoid friction with the Ishin party).
NHK's map of election district results shows LDP red making major gains across the country.
Osaka, the home of the LDP's coalition partner, the Ishin Party, remains Ishin territory.
30 minutes after the polls have closed, they haven't called a single district for the Centrist Reform Alliance.
Re-upping this because I think it still holds…Takaichi and her supporters might think they have a stronger hand on China after their election win, but the structural constraints of a tight budget, wobbly ally in DC, and voters demanding action on the economy are still very much in place
Takaichi successfully convinced voters to ignore unresolved scandals and cast their votes for LDP candidates. The LDP will likely win a 300+ seat majority.
The opposition CRA is going to lose over a hundred seats.
The far-right Sanseito continues to grow, more than doubling its seats.
I made a brief appearance on DW News today to talk about tomorrow's snap election in Japan: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjha...
My comments on Japan's election appear in this piece from the Sydney Morning Herald: 「‘Not from central casting’: Japan’s unconventional leader puts it all on the line」
www.smh.com.au/world/asia/n...
I was interviewed by BBC News for this article about tomorrow's election in Japan: "Will Sunday's snap election gamble pay off for Japan's first female premier?" www.bbc.com/news/article...
Sharing for a friend: "Spot was a beloved puppy who brought so much joy to everyone around him. Sadly, he passed away after a brave fight against cancer. Let’s honor his memory by supporting the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, where he found love."
The Japanese Communist Party shared this video telling voters what it stands for:
•a society in which people get fair pay and healthcare
•freedom, equality, and no unfair discrimination
•taxing the ultra wealthy
Just got a robocall from Kyodo News to participate in a poll on the upcoming Lower House election, so here's what that survey looks like @tobiasharris.bsky.social @mrjeffu.bsky.social.
Shockingly no 'I'm a foreigner and not eligible to vote' option, also Q3/4 autopopulate when you add zip code.
Japan's National Doujinshi Convention Liaison Council is cooperating with the Japanese government to encourage young people to vote.
Millions of people read doujinshi (fan comics) each year in Japan, but youth voter turnout is usually quite low. www.lets-go-senkyo.jp
Achievable if we learn to eat insects!
The Japanese Communist Party has a simple slogan for the upcoming election: Tax the Rich.
According to a recent NHK poll, 2.6% of Japanese voters support the JCP. About 35% of respondents supported no political party or said they did not know what party to support.
The far-right Sanseito party got Community Noted on Twitter for posting a pledge to raise Japan's food self-sufficiency rate from 38% to 100%.
The note points out that it's simply unrealistic to expect that such a pledge could be achieved.
It can be said that the new Centrist Reform Alliance lacks ideological cohesion on some issues, but so does the LDP. Some LDP politicians seem happy to work with the far-right, while others do not.
Japan's ruling LDP has politicians with conflicting views on the far-right.
As you can see from these Yomiuri surveys that asked candidates to rate leaders of each political party, some rate the far-right Sanseito and CPJ leaders as 0/10, while others rate them nearly as high as Takaichi.
Video of my appearance on Australia's ABC News last night to discuss the politics of nuclear power restarts and Japan's upcoming general election:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vz...
Reuters interviewed me today about Prime Minister Takaichi's call for a snap election, which seems to be aimed at taking maximum advantage of her high approval ratings. www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
Japanese Prime Minister Abe was known for having a strong circle of advisors.
According to tabloid Daily Shincho, Takaichi, "who regards Abe as her political mentor, is said to be sitting alone at her desk," making top-down decisions without getting much advice.
www.dailyshincho.jp/article/2026...
