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JAPAN-CHILDLESS-COUPLE
Japanese politician lashes out at childless couples
TOKYO, June 29, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – An official at Japan’s ruling Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) recently has criticized couples who decide not to have
children as “selfish,” according to local reports.
The remarks were made by LDP secretary general Toshihiro Nikai, as the 79-
year-old official tried to urge people to have more children in a speech.
“During and after the war when (people) were living on the edge of
starvation, nobody said it’s better not to have children because it would be
too much trouble,” Nikai said.
“These days, some people have a selfish idea that it is better not to give
birth to children,” he added.
“In order for everyone (in Japan) to be happy, we should have many
children and develop our country,” Nikai said as quoted by Kyodo News.
Nikai’s words were the latest reaction of Japanese politicians to the
statistics newly released on June 1, which showed Japan’s birthrate dropped
to a record low in 2017.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of
newborns fell to a new record low of 946,060 last year, with total fertility
rate last year standing at 1.43.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to combat the nation’s
dwindling birthrate by trying to facilitate child-rearing through upping the
number of daycare facilities and through state-backed initiatives to support
families with low incomes.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1129 hrs