Japan Press Weekly

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2018 May 9 - 15 [POLITICS]

LDP lawmaker’s ‘raise at least 3 kids’ remark is epitomy of sexual harassment: JCP Kasai

It has come to light that a 72-year-old male Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker boasted when making a speech as a guest in a wedding reception that he always urges newlyweds to raise at least three children. This remark tramples on women’s reproductive rights.

The LDP Dietmember in question is Nagasaki-elected Kato Kanji. He made that sexist remark on May 10 in Tokyo at a meeting of an LDP faction which he belongs to. In the meeting, he said proudly that when attending a wedding reception, he always tells newlyweds that they should have three or more children.

Furthermore, he said that every time he meets young female guests at a wedding reception, he tells them to raise a child by saying, “If you don’t get married and have children, you will enter a nursing-care home operated with tax money paid by someone else’s offsprings.” He implied that the primary care giver should be a family member.

Facing public criticism, Kato said that it is regrettable that his remark was seen as sexual harassment and withdrew his controversial statement.

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Kasai Akira on May 11 at a press briefing criticized Kato’s remark as epitomy of sexual harassment.

Kasai referred to the fact that in 2007, Welfare Minister of the first Abe Cabinet Yanagisawa Hakuo remarked that women are “birth-giving machines”. Kasai said that like Yanagisawa, Kato lacks respect for women’s human rights and dignity.