TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Small opposition parties, viewed as forces advocating populist and extreme policies, increased their seats in Sunday's general election, with a high-profile slush fund scandal dampening the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's popularity.

The developments are similar to those in some European countries, where far-right or far-left political parties have gained momentum amid mounting frustration with mainstream powers seen as favoring elites and the wealthy, analysts said.

The anti-establishment political party Reiwa Shinsengumi, which promised to abolish Japan's consumption tax to entice voters, has more than doubled its seats in the House of Representatives, up from three before the election.

The Conservative Party of Japan, established in 2023, has won its first seat in the powerful lower house. Led by novelist Naoki Hyakuta, the party advocates for stricter immigration and refugee acceptance policies to safeguard the Japanese people.

As the ruling LDP suffered a crushing defeat in the election, Taro Yamamoto, leader of the Reiwa Shinsengumi, said, "I wanted the public to deliver a verdict on the politics that have caused Japan's decline over the past 30 years."

Yamamoto, a former TV personality, also told reporters after the election, "A further economic slump lies ahead. The nation is filled with people who are in a predicament."

Hyakuta said in Tokyo that he is "happy with" the victory of former Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura in the latest lower house election as a candidate backed by the Conservative Party of Japan, adding, "Our goal is to become a national party."

In Japan, a political group must have at least five lawmakers or receive 2 percent or more of the votes cast across the country in the most recent national election.