They're two different parties, though they share similar right-wing populist origins. Ishin arose from an Osaka-based regional party whose initial purpose was to reorganize Osaka Prefecture into a metropolis (I don't fully understand the logic for this, but it relates to management of tax revenue). After branching into national politics, Ishin's founder, former Osaka Gov. and nationalist scumbag Toru Hashimoto, rooted the party in right-wing ideology. Hashimoto has thankfully moved on from politics, and the party's posturing has softened as it seeks to build support beyond the Kansai region. It still straddles the right extreme of mainstream politics, though, more so than the LDP.
Absolutely wild result, couldn’t happen to more deserving old dinosaurs
Am I mixing up my right wing splinter parties, or is Ishin different at all from Shintario Ishikawa’s old ultra-nationalist Sunrise Party?
They're two different parties, though they share similar right-wing populist origins. Ishin arose from an Osaka-based regional party whose initial purpose was to reorganize Osaka Prefecture into a metropolis (I don't fully understand the logic for this, but it relates to management of tax revenue). After branching into national politics, Ishin's founder, former Osaka Gov. and nationalist scumbag Toru Hashimoto, rooted the party in right-wing ideology. Hashimoto has thankfully moved on from politics, and the party's posturing has softened as it seeks to build support beyond the Kansai region. It still straddles the right extreme of mainstream politics, though, more so than the LDP.