A Tokyo court is handling a rare case in which five women who want to stop their reproductive functions are fighting over their right to have sterilization surgery in Japan — currently banned under the Maternal Health Law.
The first trial hearing held Wednesday at the Tokyo District Court deliberated over the case in which Kazane Kajiya, 27, and four others filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that the law infringes upon their constitutional rights by restricting a woman's ability to make decisions about their own bodies. They are seeking ¥1 million in damages per person.
Growing up, Kajiya always felt disgusted by her fertile body and never wanted children. When she was near children, she would feel mentally distressed and experience palpitations. Birth control pills, which made her lower body bloated, don't help solve the emotional agony she feels about having reproductive functions.