"30s Japanese Professor's Remark 'Elderly Group Suicide as Aging Solution' Faces Backlash"

Controversy Over Remarks by Narita Yusuke, Yale Professor
Criticism of Japanese Society... "Hatred Toward the Vulnerable"
Analysis Suggests Generational Conflict Over Pensions as Background

Controversy is intensifying over a 30-something professor who mentioned collective suicide and seppuku among the elderly as a solution to Japan's rapid aging population.

On the 12th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that Narita Yusuke, a 37-year-old assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Yale University, sparked outrage in Japanese society by stating that the elderly, who are a burden on Japan's economy, should commit collective suicide.

The controversy dates back to 2021. In an online broadcast, Professor Narita was asked, "How should we solve the burden caused by a rapidly aging society?" He replied, "The only solution seems quite clear. Ultimately, wouldn't it be collective suicide or collective seppuku among the elderly?"

He also referenced the movie Midsommar during a lecture last year with 20 Japanese elementary to high school students. The film depicts a scene in a village in central Sweden where elderly people at age 72 throw themselves off a cliff for the village's "sustained prosperity."

He added, "It's hard to say whether this is good or bad," and continued, "If you think it's good, then work hard to create such a society." In another interview, he argued that euthanasia should be "discussed as a mandatory practice in the future."

Despite these strong remarks, it is reported that there are quite a few supporters of Professor Narita within Japan.

The NYT stated, "Narita has 570,000 followers on Japanese Twitter and is especially popular among young people who believe that Japan's economic stagnation is due to its aging society."

His Twitter profile includes the phrase, "What you are told not to say is usually the truth." He self-assesses that he is making efforts to push the oldest generation out of the vested interests for the sake of the younger generation.

The NYT analyzed that the background to the growing support for his remarks is the generational conflict where "the elderly receive too much pension, and the younger generation bears too much economic burden."

[Image source=Pixabay]

However, concerns are emerging in mainstream Japanese society. Yuki Honda, a professor of sociology at the University of Tokyo, pointed out that it is "hatred toward the vulnerable."

Masato Fujisaki, a columnist for the Japanese edition of Newsweek, criticized, "Narita's remarks should not be taken as a simple metaphor," and said, "His fans are people who think the elderly should die and social welfare should be cut."

However, Professor Narita told the NYT, "I am concerned about the current situation in Japan, where influential figures dominate politics, industry, and media," and explained that phrases like collective suicide and collective seppuku are abstract metaphors. He added, "After reflecting that I should have been more cautious, I have not used those words since last year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.