Makoto Sakurai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Makoto Sakurai
桜井 誠
Makoto Sakurai in front of Ueno Station on July 24, 2016, during the 2016 Tokyo gubernatorial election
Leader of the Japan First Party
In office February 26, 2017 – February 26, 2025
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Takako Yamaguchi
Personal details
Born	Makoto Takata (髙田 誠, Takata Makoto) (1972-02-15) February 15, 1972 (age 53) Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Political party	Japan First
Residences	Tokyo, Japan
Known for	Founder and former leader of Zaitokukai

Makoto Sakurai (桜井 誠, Sakurai Makoto, born February 15, 1972) is a Japanese political activist, blogger, and writer. He uses "Makoto Sakurai" as his public name. He was once a civil servant. He is known for starting and leading a group called Zaitokukai. This group is known for its strong messages about foreign people and for holding public demonstrations. After trying to become the governor of Tokyo in 2016, he started the Japan First Party in August 2016. He stepped down as the party's leader in February 2025.

Understanding Makoto Sakurai's Name

Makoto Sakurai uses "Makoto Sakurai" as his public name. He also publishes his writings under this name. Some people thought his real name might be Makoto Kimura. This was because he was introduced that way on a TV show in 2005. However, in 2017, he shared a picture of a document. This document showed his real name as "Makoto Takata" (髙田 誠, Takata Makoto). It also showed the public name he is known by.

Sakurai's Online Activities

Makoto Sakurai is very active online. He uses the username "Doronpa" and similar names. You can find him on his blog, Twitter, and TwitCasting accounts.

How Sakurai Got Interested in Politics Online

When Sakurai was a civil servant, he started learning about South Korea through the Internet. He came to believe that "South Korea is a rare country that one hates more the more they learn about it." He then used an online message board to talk with South Korean internet users. Because of these discussions, he was invited to a TV show to talk about South Korea. He was the only one on the show who did not like the country's popularity in Japan.

Sakurai's Activism with Zaitokukai

On December 2, 2006, Sakurai started a group called Zaitokukai. This name is short for Zainichi Tokken-wo Yurusanai Shimin-no Kai (在日特権を許さない市民の会, "Association of Citizens against the Special Privileges of the Zainichi"). They held their first meeting the next month. He started the group after seeing a TV news report. The report was about some Japanese citizens supporting Zainichi Koreans getting national pensions without paying for them. Sakurai was worried this could harm the Japanese pension system. He looked for a group fighting against special rights for Zainichi Koreans but found none. So, he decided to create Zaitokukai. The group's main goal is to end special rights for foreigners, especially Koreans. They base their ideas on nationalism and law.

In 2013, Sakurai was involved in a public demonstration in Tokyo. This event led to a disagreement with other protesters.

In October 2014, Sakurai had a public discussion with Osaka mayor Tōru Hashimoto. They talked about strong, negative public statements. The meeting was very short, lasting only eight minutes. Both sides were shouting, and Mayor Hashimoto left the stage.

On November 11, 2014, Sakurai announced he would leave Zaitokukai. He stepped down as the group's leader at the end of that month.

Sakurai's Political Journey

Before running for governor of Tokyo in 2016, Sakurai had often said he would not enter politics. In 2009, he said he would not change his life to become a politician. During his debate with Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto in 2014, he also said he was not interested in being a politician. When he left Zaitokukai, he repeated that he would not become a politician.

Running for Tokyo Governor in 2016

After the previous governor of Tokyo resigned, Sakurai announced he would run for the position in June 2016. There were 21 candidates in total, which was a record number.

Sakurai did not get much media attention compared to the three main candidates. He criticized the media for this unfair treatment in his speeches. His rival, Mac Akasaka, agreed with him. When newspapers did cover Sakurai, some criticized him. They said he used the election to make strong, negative speeches. Only one large newspaper, Sankei Shimbun, reported on him in a neutral or positive way. They even reported closely from his campaign office on election night. Sakurai finished in fifth place. He received 114,171 votes, which was about 1.74% of all votes.

Sakurai made several promises for Tokyo residents:

• End welfare benefits for foreigners.
• Reduce the number of illegal immigrants in Tokyo by half.
• Create a law against anti-Japanese hate speech.
• Control pachinko, which is a type of gambling that is not fully legal in Japan.
• Stop the building of a new Korean school in Tokyo.
• Make the Tokyo Olympics smaller.

He believed these promises would help Japanese people and their country. Sakurai's main slogan was "Japan First" (日本第一・ジャパンファースト).

Sakurai also criticized the Liberal Democratic Party. He said they supported the previous governor, who used public money for personal things. He also urged young people in their 20s and 30s to vote. He asked everyone to take time to vote, hoping it would lead to changes in politicians. He did not ask people to vote for him, just to vote.

Running for Tokyo Governor in 2020

On June 4, 2020, Sakurai announced he would run again for the Tokyo gubernatorial election. This election was held on July 5, 2020. He ran as a candidate supported by the Japan First Party. His promises for this election were fewer than in 2016. He had three main promises:

• Zero Tokyo resident taxes and property taxes.
• Control of pachinko.
• Immediate end to welfare for foreign citizens.

After June 18, 2020, he changed his campaign strategy. He was worried about the spread of the novel coronavirus. So, he canceled traditional street speeches that gather many people. Instead, he focused on online speeches and interviews through web broadcasts. He sometimes held protest speeches in places like the Embassy of China. He did this without telling people beforehand, so crowds would not gather. Before the election, he had asked the government to postpone the election due to the coronavirus.

On June 24, 2020, he caused a disturbance during a TV show broadcast. He pulled an election campaign car in front of the studio. He criticized one of the show's hosts by name. Some newspapers reported that Sakurai planned these controversial statements.

However, two other people, Shin'ichirō Suda and Yoshikatsu Ikuta, showed some understanding for Sakurai. They made positive comments about him.

On July 6, an apology was made for using Sakurai's street propaganda videos without permission on the TV show.

In the election, Sakurai received 178,784 votes. He again finished in fifth place. Sakurai said he was defeated but hoped for the success of the winner, Yuriko Koike. He also felt that this election showed the power of online campaigns. He believed they could use these virtual methods more in future elections. Even though fewer people voted in 2020 than in 2016, Sakurai's percentage of votes increased from 1.74% to 2.92%.

Running in the 2021 Japanese General Election

Sakurai was a candidate in the 2021 Japanese general election. He ran for the Japan First Party in the Tokyo 15th district. He received 9,449 votes, which was 3.96% of the votes. This was the highest percentage of votes he had received so far. His party also received 33,661 votes in the Tokyo proportional representation block.

Election Results for Tokyo Governor

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