The fifth edition of the "March for Life" in Tokyo was held in mid-July. Mgr Kikuchi blessed the initiative, which is rare in Asian societies. A “good number of people in Japan think that we can measure the value of human life based on how productive it is,” said the prelate.
Tokyo (AsiaNews) – The "March for Life" is now in its fifth edition after it was launched in 2014 by Masaaki Ikeda, a Japanese Catholic activist.
On 16 July, about 250 people marched through the city of Tokyo, starting off at the Catholic church of Tsukiji making their way until they reached Hibiya Park.
"The march was organised by lay members of Tokyo parishes with my approval," said Mgr Tarcisio Isao Yama Kikuchi, archbishop of Tokyo since December 2017, speaking to AsiaNews.
"The initiative by lay people is praiseworthy,” he added. “Pro-life activities are not common in Japan. Organising the march is important because it brings to people’s attention the important issue of human life."
Public view about abortion have not changed in Japan, which remains one of the countries in the world with the highest number of abortions per year, this despite the fact that the country is facing a very serious demographic crisis.
"Abortion has been widely accepted, as if it were a normal part of life, even though there are so many people, especially women, who suffer remorse, who suffer in body and mind,” Mgr Kikuchi noted.
A 2005 survey highlighted the problem. One in six women between the ages of 16 and 49 said they had had an abortion at least once in their lifetime. However, 56 per cent of them also said that hey were "grieving" for the child.
In Japan, in addition to abortion, the eugenics mindset remains strong. The prelate cited the serious incident last year at the home for the disabled in Sagamihara, where a 26-year-old former employee killed 19 people with disabilities.
"The killer, a young man, said that the disabled are useless people and do not have the right to live,” explained Mgr Kikuchi.
“Much more frightening is the fact that a good number of people approved the statement by the killer on the internet. These facts clearly show that many people in Japan think that we can measure the value of human life based on how productive it is.”
In Asia, the Catholic Church remains a voice, often isolated, that always asserts people’s full human development, a vision of man that is disconnected from the logic of utility and productivity.
"For us,” Mgr Kikuchi said, “the activities of promoting peace, human development and assistance to those in need are not motivated by a political agenda, as some suggest.”
Instead, "These activities are based on our desire to promote a culture of life and full human development. I hope that pro-life activists also take this integral point of view and do not stick to a single issue.”