'Remove Their Uterus After 30': Japanese Leaders' Remarks To Tackle Low Birthrates Sparks Outrage

Japan: Japanese lawmaker Naoki Hyakuta came under fire for his bizarre remarks suggesting that women need to “remove their uteruses” after the age of 30 to reverse the dwindling birthrate in the country. Japan’s Conservative Party leader made the controversial claim in a YouTube video while discussing measures to increase Japan’s birthrates as part of the nation’s ongoing population crisis.

Before presenting his solution, Hyakuta prefaced it with, “I’m not saying this is a good solution. I really mean it—this is not good.” He then went ahead to say, “What if we banned women from college at 18?” so they could focus on childbirth.

Also Read | Two Explosions Near Brazil’s Supreme Court, One Reported Dead

Calling these “extreme” measures and even “science fiction,” the Japanese leader said that the solution to the challenges faced by the country’s aging population would be to ban women from getting married after the age of 25.

Another “too extreme measure, even for fiction,” he suggested, was forcing women over 30 to have a hysterectomy so they would be pressured to get married quickly and produce babies.

Since the clip surfaced online, Hyakuta’s remarks quickly went viral across social media. Several people slammed the Japanese leader for his regressive and discriminatory remarks against women’s rights and reproductive freedom.

Following the severe backlash, Hyakuta clarified that he was merely presenting “a hypothetical idea” and he did not personally advocate such ideas against women.

Also Read | Did Turkey Cut All Ties With Israel?

“I meant to say that we cannot transform the social structure unless we do something that goes that far. I want to retract my remarks and apologize,” Hyakuta said.

The government had previously announced an initiative to financially support single women who travel from Tokyo to rural areas in search of a partner. Japan is witnessing more women than men moving into Tokyo. The new initiative would expand an already-existing subsidy scheme, offering women who move from Tokyo’s 23 wards to rural areas up to $7,000.