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Japanese politician tells Kindergarten Association pack rapists are "close to normal"
Why tell "the kindergarten" association that? 
Outcry as MP links gang rape to virility
By Shane Green, Herald Correspondent in Tokyo and agencies
June 28 2003
Japan has been appalled by the comments of a senior ruling party politician that gang rapists were "virile" and "close to normal".
Seiichi Ota, a former cabinet minister and member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made the comments at a forum on Japan's declining birthrate, held by the national kindergarten association.
There was an immediate outcry over the politician's comments, with the opposition Social Democratic Party describing them as "atrocious".
Mr Ota's comments were made in a debate on Japan's declining birthrate, in the southern city of Kagoshima. The former prime minister Yoshiro Mori also attended.
The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that Mr Ota, 57, said the fall in the birthrate was because of the lack of courage among Japanese men to marry.
The moderator of the debate then made a perplexing reference to a notorious case of alleged gang rape earlier this month, where five students from prestigious universities were arrested for gang raping a female student.
In an equally bizarre comment, the moderator reportedly asked if men should gang rape "if they don't have the courage to make a marriage proposal".
"Gang rape shows the people who do it are still virile, and that is okay," Mr Ota said. "I think that might make them close to normal.
"I know that I would be criticised for saying these sorts of things."
When the forum finished, Mr Ota, a former academic, tried to explain his comments, telling reporters he had planned to say that rape was a serious crime and should be severely punished.
The Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, joined the criticism.
"It is natural that he be criticised. Rape is an unforgivable, contemptible act. It's different from whether one is vigorous or not," Mr Koizumi told reporters.
Mr Ota was also reprimanded by the LDP secretary-general, Taku Yamasaki, and apologised for his remarks.
"I think the fact that such comments were reported made victims ... and many women feel unpleasant, so I want to reconsider and express my apologies," he told reporters.
Yasuyuki Takai, vice-chairman of the Japan Federation of Bar Association's committee on victim support, said he thought Mr Ota's comments showed that Japanese society was too accepting of rape, which often goes unreported.
*shakes head*
Outcry as MP links gang rape to virility
By Shane Green, Herald Correspondent in Tokyo and agencies
June 28 2003
Japan has been appalled by the comments of a senior ruling party politician that gang rapists were "virile" and "close to normal".
Seiichi Ota, a former cabinet minister and member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made the comments at a forum on Japan's declining birthrate, held by the national kindergarten association.
There was an immediate outcry over the politician's comments, with the opposition Social Democratic Party describing them as "atrocious".
Mr Ota's comments were made in a debate on Japan's declining birthrate, in the southern city of Kagoshima. The former prime minister Yoshiro Mori also attended.
The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that Mr Ota, 57, said the fall in the birthrate was because of the lack of courage among Japanese men to marry.
The moderator of the debate then made a perplexing reference to a notorious case of alleged gang rape earlier this month, where five students from prestigious universities were arrested for gang raping a female student.
In an equally bizarre comment, the moderator reportedly asked if men should gang rape "if they don't have the courage to make a marriage proposal".
"Gang rape shows the people who do it are still virile, and that is okay," Mr Ota said. "I think that might make them close to normal.
"I know that I would be criticised for saying these sorts of things."
When the forum finished, Mr Ota, a former academic, tried to explain his comments, telling reporters he had planned to say that rape was a serious crime and should be severely punished.
The Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, joined the criticism.
"It is natural that he be criticised. Rape is an unforgivable, contemptible act. It's different from whether one is vigorous or not," Mr Koizumi told reporters.
Mr Ota was also reprimanded by the LDP secretary-general, Taku Yamasaki, and apologised for his remarks.
"I think the fact that such comments were reported made victims ... and many women feel unpleasant, so I want to reconsider and express my apologies," he told reporters.
Yasuyuki Takai, vice-chairman of the Japan Federation of Bar Association's committee on victim support, said he thought Mr Ota's comments showed that Japanese society was too accepting of rape, which often goes unreported.
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