Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned the government's responsibility in her meeting with victims of forced sterilization conducted under the country's now-defunct eugenics law. 
 "The government's responsibility is extremely grave," Takaichi said when she met with the victims at the prime minister's office on Wednesday. A law on compensation to forced sterilization victims took effect on Jan. 17 last year following a Supreme Court ruling that recognized the state's liability. While victims are estimated to include around 25,000 individuals subjected to sterilization procedures and about 59,000 who had abortions, the number of cases certified under the law remained at just 1,560 as of the end of November last year.

Episode notes:

‘Takaichi Meets with Forced Sterilization Victims’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/01/23/takaichi-meets-with-forced-sterilization-victims/