In last month’s (July 2025) House of Councillors (upper house) elections in Japan, the national vote share of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), fell to 21.6% - its lowest result in the party's history. Plus Sanseitō, a far right party, made a dramatic advance by securing a 12.6% share of the national vote.
In this No Cold War Perspectives video, Seishi Hinada, in discussion with Anlin Wang, explains this recent election in the context of the history of the LDP. Also discussed is Trumps recent imposition of tariffs on Japan, alongside the stepped up strengthening of Japan's military – and increasing international operations coordinated with the US and its allies.
Japan’s current militarisation is taking place, despite it not having properly addressed its war crimes prior to its defeat in 1945. It is concerning that it is participating in plans for another war with China, which the Japanese anti-war movement ZENKO is campaigning against.
Hinada, Seishi has been involved in the ZENKO (National Assembly for Peace & Democracy) movement since his student days, participating in peace activism, postwar compensation campaigns, and anti-base struggles in Hiroshima.
Currently, ZENKO is continuing protest and advocacy actions in Japan targeting Israeli partner corporations and the government, to help stop the massacre in Gaza. In particular, it is campaigning to withdraw major Japanese arms manufacturers (such as MHI, IHI, and MELCO) from the international supply chain for the F-35I Adir fighter jets, the main aircraft used by the IDF in bombing Gaza.
It is also running the ZHAP (ZENKO Henoko Anti-base Project) campaign to oppose the construction of a new base in Henoko, Okinawa, and to stop the militarization of the entire East Asia region in preparation for war against China.
By connecting comrades in the U.S. DSA with those engaged in anti-base movements in Taiwan, Korea, and Okinawa, ZENKO aims to build cross-border grassroots solidarity, strengthen dialogue and diplomacy over military deterrence, and raise international public opinion for disarmament and peace—pressuring governments to shift their policies.
Hinada is also a member of the MDS (Movement for Democratic Socialism).
Anlin Wang has been organizing with the Democratic Socialists of America since 2018 and served on the International Committee since 2019, where he currently leads their China Working Group and serves as a liaison to No Cold War.
Anlin is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and remains active in local organizing, where he has served on leadership of peoples’ movement organizations, worked as an organizer for progressive candidates seeking office, and acted as DSA liaison to events and movements in the region.
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This is: No Cold War 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 #17 Video
𝐍𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒-𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
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