Former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara announced yesterday that he had formed a new party named "Party of the Sun." The name of the party comes from the novel Season of the Sun written by Ishihara in 1955. Ishihara has actively been seeking to join hands with Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's Japan Restoration Association to challenge the main duo of the Democratic Party of Japan and Liberal Democratic Party.

The Party of the Sun is not the only party which has been formed this year, but it has drawn more attention than others. Ishihara is a signature right-winger in Japan. However he appears to be more representative of Japan than the quickly revolving door of prime ministers. This is a sad reality of Japanese politics.

Ishihara has largely contributed to the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations in recent years. He denied well-documented wartime atrocities by Japan and consistently made headlines for his hard-line arguments. The Japanese government decided to "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands as Ishihara appealed for the disputed islands to be purchased, forcing the Japanese government to respond. Now he intends to push the whole Japanese political spectrum further to the right by launching a new party. 

The Japanese need to be clear that none of Japan's neighboring countries will cater to Ishihara's stance. If Tokyo doesn't seek to sincerely improve relations with neighbors, while hoping it will simply be wooed by them, it may be disappointed as no country would act so humbly toward Japan.

The foundation of the Party of the Sun shows the further development of Japanese right-wing forces. Japan has many problems to face and if Japanese voters give Ishihara the opportunity to create more waves in their politics, they would only be creating trouble for their own future. It will mean more troubles and risks for the region, but apparently, Japan will have to face more troubles than any other country around it.

Ishihara was a novelist before turning to politics. As a writer, he was skilled at making impassioned appeals to the emotions of the populace. He made use of a nationally held dream to make Japan a power once again to win support, no matter the cost for Japan's foreign relations and the future of the country. He has many supporters because his hard-line arguments cater to right-wingers' sense of pride and self-confidence while they are suffering from an economic recession. However, a novelist can deliver unrealistic books while politicians cannot be divorced from reality.

The word "sun" should carry a meaning of hope and light. However, right-wing forces are the last place Japanese people should look for hope.

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