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Eugenics in Showa Japan refers to measures taken in the Japanese Empire during the first part of the Showa era. Similar to German eugenics methods, those measures were taken in order to reduce birth defects and to maintain the "superiority" of the Japanese race. Japanese eugenicists were preoccupied with demographics (see Japanese demography before WWII), particularly in reducing the rate of birth defects, as well as the protection of the 'racial purity' of the Japanese in East Asia. There was also focus on removing "inferior" traits from the Japanese gene pool. Image File history File links Wiki_letter_w. ... Eugenics is the self-direction of human evolution: Logo from the Second International Congress of Eugenics, 1921, depicting it as a tree which unites a variety of different fields. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ... Hirohito (裕仁), the Shōwa Emperor (昭和天皇), (April 29, 1901 - January 7, 1989) reigned over Japan from 1926 to 1989. ... Eugenics is the self-direction of human evolution: Logo from the Second International Congress of Eugenics, 1921, depicting it as a tree which unites a variety of different fields. ... The term race serves to distinguish between populations or groups of people based on different sets of characteristics which are commonly determined through social conventions. ... angp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvu8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv-98nub 89-a5nu b9-5nb98nev8emvuangp9ej9pem8v9t8n v98nsadrghoiffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffdg 8aenmv... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ... The gene pool of a species or a population is the complete set of unique alleles that would be found by inspecting the genetic material of every living member of that species or population. ...

Eugenics studies and measures

Eugenics ideologues, particularly ones within the Japanese military, created laws ordering the sterilization of "inferior" or "inadequate" citizens as well as the abortion of fetuses with such parents in order to maintain the "superiority" of the Japanese race. Some thinkers, including Sadao Araki, took interest in and promoted various eugenic measures to preserve the "superior qualities" of the Japanese race. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

There were also campaigns to increase the 'production' of physically "perfect" future Samurai warriors. These programs were guided by Katsuko Tojo, the wife of General Tojo. The Japanese government gave economic support to all mothers with large families. Eugenicists planned a ten-year program to augment the number of future soldiers to 100,000,000. Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo (東條 英機 Tōjō Hideki) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 27th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941 to July 22, 1944. ...

Eugenic thinking probably had wider effects. Japanese soldiers received instruction on how 'inferior' Asian and European races were to be treated. Military personnel who violated these instructions were severely punished.

In 1926 the birth rate of abnormal persons was estimated at 60,000, but had increased by 1938 to 90,000 births.^{[citation needed]} In the latter year the Diet approved the "National Eugenic Law" which required the sterilization of mentally incompetent persons, and banned birth control and so-called "sexual delinquency". Abnormality is a subjectively defined characteristic, assigned to those with rare or dysfunctional conditions. ... The National Diet of Japan ) is Japans legislature. ... Birth control is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant or giving birth. ...

See also

• Japanese war crimes
• Japanese nationalism
• Militarism-Socialism in Showa Japan