Streszczenie
The main aim of this paper is to compare the political stances of the conservative parties established since 2005 and to analyze to what degree they can become an alternative to the LDP and DPJ. Although many Japanese people were disappointed with both major parties, under the current electoral system it was very difficult for smaller formations to become a credible “third pole” on the political scene. However, the parliamentary success of the JRA in the December 2012 election showed that under special conditions even smaller groups could challenge the domination of the two major parties.