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Compulsory Sterilization in Japan: Censorship Casts Doubt on Landmark Report

For many decades, Japan had an inhumane forced sterilization law on the books. A new report reveals that much information on the infamous program remains redacted.

Unseen Japan
6 min readAug 24, 2023

By Himari Semans

An individual sits on a hospital gurney with their back to the viewer, looking out two bright windows.

Children as young as 9 were sterilized under Japan’s former Eugenic Protection Law (1948–1996) which targeted approximately 25,000 people with disabilities, 66% of whom did not consent to the surgery. These findings came to light in the country’s first-ever official report on compulsory sterilization in June this year. This week we learn that the report was based on evidence of which half is censored.

Censorship Rears its Head

On August 17th, interviews with Japan’s Lower House Research Bureau and local governments revealed that 26 prefectures submitted partially redacted documents to the National Diet’s investigation into Japan’s tragic history with eugenics and forced sterilizations. The involved compulsory medical procedures targeted people with disabilities under the former Eugenic Protection Law, in effect between 1948 and 1996.

Japanese media reported on Thursday this week that only 10 out of Japan’s 47…

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Unseen Japan
Unseen Japan

Written by Unseen Japan

The Japan you don’t learn about in anime. A selection of popular stories from our website.

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