'Hyogo Shock' awakens Japan to social media-driven populism threat

Linda Sieg covered Japanese politics, economics and social issues at Reuters in Tokyo for over three decades, most recently as chief political correspondent. She is currently freelancing.

Hopes Japan would be immune to the right-wing populism driven by social media and marked by "alternative facts" seen in other advanced democracies have been jolted by the shock reelection in November of a local governor who had lost his job over allegations of power harassment and other misdeeds.