'Women over 30 must have uteruses removed', Japan leader's bizarre population pitch stirs backlash

SHAH ALAM - Japanese lawmaker Naoki Hyakuta faced widespread backlash over his controversial proposal to address Japan's declining birth rate.

The politician caused outrage after suggesting that women should undergo hysterectomies at the age of 30 if they had not yet had children.

“When you turn 30, you have to have a hysterectomy,” he said during a YouTube programme streamed on Nov 8.

In the video, Hyakuta, who is also a Japan Conservative Party leader, suggested that women should be forced to undergo the procedure if they had not started a family by that age.

He further proposed banning women from marrying after the age of 25 and restricting their access to university education from the age of 18 to encourage childbearing.

Hyakuta's remarks were framed within a broader discussion about Japan’s demographic challenges, particularly its ageing population and historically low birth rates.

Recent government data revealed that Japan’s fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.20 children per woman in 2023.

The number of births dropped to 727,277, marking a 5.6 per cent decline from the previous year.

This represented the lowest birth rate since Japan began recording such statistics in 1899, sparking urgent calls for solutions to address the decline.

Hyakuta’s proposals, however, were widely condemned as misogynistic and dehumanising by academics, politicians, and the general public.

Sumie Kawakami, a lecturer at Yamanashi Gakuin University and an author on gender issues, described Hyakuta’s comments as a "call to violence against women."

“I cannot believe that a Japanese politician has said such a thing," she reportedly said.

Critics argued that such extreme measures undermined women's rights and autonomy while failing to address the socio-economic factors contributing to low birth rates.

In response to the backlash, Hyakuta issued an apology during a speech in Nagoya on Nov 10.

“I cannot deny that the expressions were too harsh. I apologise to those who were offended,” he said.

He characterised his comments as "hypothetical" and claimed they were intended as a "science-fiction storyline" rather than serious policy proposals.

Despite his clarification, many remained unconvinced, with Hyakuta himself admitting his remarks were "extremely harsh."

Senior members of the Conservative Party also distanced themselves from his statements.

Kaori Arimoto, a senior party member, slammed Hyakuta, suggesting that even framing such ideas as fiction was inappropriate.

The controversy reignited discussions about women's rights and the impact of political rhetoric in Japan.

Hyakuta, no stranger to controversy, had previously faced criticism for denying historical atrocities committed by Japan during World War II.

The debate highlighted the complexity of Japan’s demographic challenges.

Many young people cited financial instability and employment insecurity as major barriers to starting families.

Critics stressed that addressing these issues through supportive policies—such as improved childcare services and better work-life balance—would be far more effective than imposing restrictive measures on women’s reproductive health.