Japanese party leader draws criticism over reproductive rights comment

This photo shows Naoki Hyakuta leader of Japans Conservative Party Captured from Japans Conservative Party homepage — This photo shows Naoki Hyakuta, leader of Japan's Conservative Party. Captured from Japan's Conservative Party homepage

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - The leader of Japan's Conservative Party apologized on Sunday after suggesting a dystopian scenario where women over 30 would be forced to undergo reproductive organ removal as a solution to the nation's demographic challenges.

Naoki Hyakuta, who founded the minor opposition party in 2023, made the controversial remarks during a YouTube livestream on Friday, where he outlined a hypothetical framework that would also ban women from university education and restrict marriage rights for single women above 25.

"I will retract them and apologize as there were people who found them unpleasant," Hyakuta said during a public address in Nagoya, following widespread backlash.

The remarks came just weeks after his party secured three seats in Japan's lower house election, meeting the threshold to become a recognized national political party.

Hyakuta has previously faced criticism for contentious statements about historical events in Asia and World War II.

AJP

Japanese party leader draws criticism over reproductive rights comment

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