Politician’s “Dystopian” Plan To Boost Japan’s Birth Rate Incites International Outrage
A politician’s extreme ideas to combat Japan’s plummeting birth rate are facing backlash from the public, both nationally and abroad. Some netizens have even compared his plan to the plot of a dystopian science fiction novel.
In 2023, Japan’s birth rate hit a record low, with the average number of children born to a Japanese woman falling to 1.20. The birth rate for Tokyo fell to 0.99 for the first time ever. According to many young people in Japan, the low birth rate, which strongly impacts Japan’s aging population, is largely due to finances, employment insecurity, and a work culture that results in a poor work-life balance.
In a recent video, the leader of Japan’s Conservative Party, Naoki Hyakuta, proposed that women should be banned from marrying after the age of 25, and that women who have not had children by age 30 should have their uteruses removed. He also suggested that women should be restricted from going to university at age 18 so that they can focus on childbearing instead.
Following intense backlash, he claimed that his ideas weren’t intended for actual politics, but rather for a “science-fiction storyline.” As an author, Naoki rose to fame in 2006 after publishing The Eternal Zero, a novel that glorified World War II kamikaze pilots. He has come under fire in the past for his controversial views on Japan’s history.
Unsurprisingly, the Conservative Party leader has received major criticism from both public figures and the public. One critic–Sumie Kawakami, an author on gender issues–dubbed Naoki’s proposal a “call to violence against women.” The news, which originally made headlines in Japan, has now circulated on social media sites such as Reddit.
Some Redditors compared Naoki’s ideas to dystopian works, such as the TV series Black Mirror, while also expressing shock and doubt that those ideas were “purely hypothetical.”
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Other Redditors pointed out the flaws in Naoki’s logic and politicians’ reluctance to address the financial difficulties that have contributed to Japan’s shrinking population.
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Comment
byu/ButteryKnob from discussion
inTwoXChromosomes
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Some Redditors also made their own suggestions for how to fix the population problem, such as:
Comment
byu/No_Bumblebee4179 from discussion
inworldnews
Japan isn’t the only country struggling to raise its birth rate. Read about South Korea’s birth rate problems (and questionable solutions) here:
South Korean Government’s Absurd Plan To “Increase Birth Rates” Is Getting Mocked By Everyone
