In the lead-up to Sunday¡¯s Upper House election, Japan¡¯s openness to the growing influx of foreign nationals garnered considerable media attention and spooked even some long-term foreign residents.

All the political parties found it necessary to offer policies, but the media focused largely on the new conservative party, Sanseito, which won 14 seats in Sunday¡¯s election, with some calling its campaign slogan ¡°Japanese first¡± xenophobic.

Hype and emotions are always higher in an election cycle, so post-election is a good time to examine the issue dispassionately and in depth.