2025 Volume 35 Issue 1 Pages 34-42
This paper highlights the role played by the Japan Association for Maternal Welfare (JAMW), a designated group of obstetricians and gynecologists under the Eugenic Protection Law, in eugenic surgeries conducted under the law. JAMW, now known as the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, was established in 1949 as an organization of designated obstetricians and gynecologists based on Article 12 of the Eugenic Protection Law enacted in 1948. The chairman was Dr. Yasaburō Taniguchi, a gynecologist and member of the House of Councilors from Kumamoto Prefecture. Since 2018, there has been an increase in discussions and examinations related to the forced sterilizations under the Eugenic Protection Law, following legal proceedings. In response to this, this paper expresses a fundamental discomfort with discussing the Eugenic Protection Law system without addressing the role of JAMW. By examining JAMW’s journal, the Bosei Hogo Ihō [Journal of Maternal Health and Protection], it becomes evident that Taniguchi and JAMW played a leading role in advocating for amendments to and the implementation of the Eugenic Protection Law, taking advantage of legislative initiatives and the designated obstetricians and gynecologists system after the law’s enactment. In consideration of the opinions within JAMW, Taniguchi at the national parliament in the 1950s, repeatedly urged the Ministry of Health to enforce eugenic surgeries. JAMW as a whole supported the thorough implementation of eugenic surgeries, especially for individuals with mental disabilities, and criticized the lack of enthusiasm among psychiatrists and prison medical officers. The examination of the role played by obstetricians and gynecologists under the Eugenic Protection Law remains insufficient even today. This article aims to contribute to improving the current situation.
