Can Japan Face Up to Its Legacy of Forced Sterilization?
The DiplomatMar 08, 2022
A report from the Japanese government has revealed the scope of the country's eugenics program from 1948 until its repeal in 1996, with nearly 25K allegedly sterilized by the government, including children as young as nine-years-old.
Japan's eugenics law targeted individuals, mostly women, with disabilities, mental illness, or heritable disorders, and made sterilization a pre-condition for marriage or some welfare programs. 65% of the sterilizations were reportedly done without the consent of the patients, with some being deceived about the true nature of the procedures.
Slowly but surely, justice is being served for the victims of Japan's eugenics program. This shameful chapter in the nation's history is being taken seriously by those in power, as recent statements and court rulings have shown. This is but one small step in helping the victims recover from what they have been put through, and we can only hope accountability, contrition, and compensation can provide some comfort to those who have suffered.
The ugly history of sterilization in Japan is far from over, as discriminatory laws are still forcing marginalized people to undergo this dehumanizing procedure. Transgender people in Japan are still subject to forced sterilization if they wish to have their gender changed on official documents, which indicates that Japan has still not reckoned with the past injustices they have inflicted on vulnerable populations.