FOCUS: Japan's left-leaning forces lag as social media rises, old support fades

TOKYO - Japan's left-leaning political forces have struggled to gain traction in recent years, as social media and the decline of traditional support organizations reshape how political issues are mobilized and debated.

Political debate has increasingly gravitated toward issues tied to public anxiety, such as national security and crime by foreign nationals in Japan, creating fertile ground for right-wing populist rhetoric that simplifies complex problems and spreads quickly online.