After a long and hard-fought battle, victims of Japan’s eugenics law will finally receive compensation from the government. Payments began on January 17th for those who were forcibly sterilized or received abortions because the country deemed them unfit to have children.
Japan’s Eugenics Protection Law, passed in 1948 and explicitly modeled on Nazi law, remained on the books until 1996. During that time, over 25,000 people were forcibly sterilized, most of them people deemed mentally handicapped or mentally ill. The majority – some of them children – were sterilized without their consent.
Japan’s government began considering compensation for victims back in 2019. It’s been an uphill battle, however, as prefectures have been less than forthcoming with information about who was sterilized and why. Numerous courts in Japan also rejected victims’ demands for compensation on grounds such as an expired statute of limitations.
In July 2024, however, Japan’s Supreme Court opened the door to compensation when it unanimously ruled that the Law had been unconstitutional. Then-Prime Minister Kishida Fumio issued a formal apology and promised compensation for the victims.
That compensation has now arrived. Victims of forced sterilization will receive 15 million yen (USD $95,900), with their spouses eligible to receive five million yen ($31,900). Victims who received forced abortions will receive a one-time payment of two million yen ($12,790).
Victims will need to file for compensation at their local prefectural office. Prefectures will provide free legal support for victims. The country’s Children and Families Agency has also set up a special hotline for consultations.
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