Depopulation, Conservative Resilience, and Right-Wing Populist Challenge in Japan's Shrinking Regions
Aim. To explain how long-term demographic shrinkage, aging, economic dependency, and territorial-administrative change shape support for both the established LDP and the new right-wing populist challenger Sanseitô across Japanese municipalities.
Research questions:
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Do shrinking rural municipalities still give stronger support to the LDP beyond 2025?
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Did Sanseitô perform better in urban or less stable regions than in heavily depopulating municipalities?
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Do aging and economic dependency continue to dampen anti-establishment voting?
Relevance:
- Addresses whether Japan still moderates the electoral effects of regional decline, or whether 2025 electoral success of Sanseitô marks a genuine break in that pattern.
- Investigates whether shrinking rural Japan remains conservatively integrated or is starting to open to right-wing populist realignment.
Kostiantyn Ovsiannikov
Assistant Professor
My research interests include labor economics, experimental economics and political economy.
