In the political circles of Okinawa Prefecture, new political party Sanseito is causing a stir.

In last month's Upper House election, 70-year-old incumbent Yoichi Iha — an independent candidate supported by the “All Okinawa” political movement — defeated newcomer Genta Koja, 38, from the Liberal Democratic Party, by just 2,888 votes in the Okinawa electoral district.

Many observers believe that the Sanseito candidate, who received 22,585 votes, received support from conservatives who would have otherwise voted for Koja, and that this affected the election results.