Naoki Hyakuta, leader of the Conservative Party of Japan, recently sparked controversy by suggesting a set of hypothetical policies aimed at addressing Japan’s declining birth rate.
Among his proposed measures was a policy for removing the uteruses of women over 30.
Source: The Japan News
Mr Hyakuta made these comments on 8 Nov during a podcast he hosts on YouTube, arguing that strict reproductive limits could pressure women to have children earlier.
The suggestion arose during a discussion on addressing Japan’s declining population.
Mr Hyakuta’s co-host, Kaori Arimoto, remarked that Japan’s values are shifting rapidly.
With more women joining the workforce, an increasing number feel that having children may not align with their personal happiness.
Ms Arimoto, who is also a senior member of Mr Hyakuta’s party, then asked how these values could be restored.
In response, Mr Hyakuta proposed a series of radical ideas: banning women over 18 from attending college, prohibiting marriage for women over 25, and even removing uteruses from women over 30.
The politician said that it’ll take extreme measures to reshape Japan’s current social structure and values.
However, Ms Arimoto responded that even hypothetically, his last suggestion was far too extreme.
Following significant backlash, Mr Hyakuta issued a public apology.
Source: @hyakutanaoki on X
On Sunday (10 Nov), he apologised for his remarks during a speech in Nagoya and on X, emphasising that his proposed ideas were purely hypothetical.
Following his apology, he criticised Japanese media for taking his comments out of context, claiming that none of the journalists had watched the full video.
This isn’t the first time Mr Hyakuta has stirred controversy with divisive statements.
In 2014, he denied the Nanjing Massacre — a tragedy in which the Japanese army killed Chinese civilians en masse during World War II — ever occurred.
He has also strongly opposed the LGBT Understanding Promotion Act and eventually formed his own party, expressing that the Liberal Democratic Party had failed to represent his views.
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Featured image adapted from The Japan News and @hyakutanaoki on X.
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