Women on the Far Right in Japan: Discourse on Opposition to the Optional Separate Surname

• In Event: Sociology of Sex and Gender Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 13. Family Regimes, Demographic Anxiety, and Governance

Abstract

The far-right movement has risen globally over the last several years, and Japan is not an exception. There has been a significant surge in ultranationalist, xenophobic, and patriarchal discourse, especially online and in the political space. Sanseito, a newly established Japanese political party founded in 2020, is a great example of this phenomenon in Japan.
This study examines how gender ideology operates within contemporary Japanese far-right politics. Specifically, through a sociological discourse analysis, this research reveals how female politicians in Sanseito oppose the Optional Separate Surname System, a reform long advocated by Japanese feminists.
The discourse analysis identifies three themes: First, Sanseito advocates a “traditional” family model centered on the full-time homemaker, which differs from the one the mainstream conservative party has advocated. Second, female politicians frame surname change upon marriage as a source of joy and as essential for family unity. Third, they emphasize the mother’s role to convey accurate information to their children and protect their family, society, and the nation. These findings suggest that female politicians in Sanseito play an active role in legitimizing and reproducing patriarchal nationalist ideology.

Author

• Kotone Ishida, University of Hawaii at Manoa