Civic group rallies against anti-foreigner rhetoric ahead of Japan election

TOKYO - Residents gathered in Tokyo on Friday to oppose misinformation and discrimination against foreigners as campaigning for the Feb. 8 general election effectively got under way.

Policies targeting foreigners have increasingly drawn attention since the previous national election last summer, underscored by the rise of the fringe party Sanseito, which advocated "Japanese First" and policies critics see as xenophobic.