Japan's Plan to Sell Morning-After Pill Without Prescription "May Take Human Life"
Tokyo's Catholic leader has condemned Japan's decision to allow over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill, saying such measures risk undermining respect for human life.
Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, the Archbishop of Tokyo, told UCA News on October 23, 2025, that he "cannot approve measures that may take human life without adequate moral education." He said that while he recognized the policy as promoting a woman's right to self-determination, "life is a gift from God."
His comments followed Aska Pharmaceutical's October 20, 2025, announcement that its emergency contraceptive pill would be sold without a prescription for the first time in Japan, though intake would still require supervision by a trained pharmacist. The manufacturer said the move would align Japan with many Western countries and expand access for women.
Previously, women in Japan had to obtain a doctor's examination and prescription to get the morning-after pill. The pill is not covered by public health insurance and can cost up to $150. It is also the only medicine in Japan that must be taken in front of a pharmacist.
Medical associations, including the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, raised concerns about limited sex education and pharmacist training. A previous survey found 40 percent of members were against the proposal, with 92 percent saying they had concerns.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan has long opposed emergency contraceptives. In a 2010 statement, it said such pills could prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum and were therefore "in effect, abortifacient."
The debate comes as attitudes toward reproductive healthcare continue to shift globally. In the UK, the morning-after pill became available for free from community pharmacies across England on October 29, 2025, a change described by NHS England as the biggest transformation in sexual health services since the 1960s.
There are an estimated 610,000 unplanned pregnancies each year in Japan. Abortion has been legal since 1948 and is available up until 22 weeks, but consent is required from a spouse or partner, with exceptions only in cases of rape or domestic abuse.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
A Catholic cardinal just stood alone and said what needs to be said. Life is a gift from God. And Japan's new policy may take human life.
Cardinal Kikuchi isn't mincing words. While the world celebrates "reproductive freedom," he's calling it what it is. A threat to the unborn.
The morning-after pill can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. That's not contraception. That's ending a life that's already begun. The Catholic Church said this in 2010. It's still true in 2025.
And Cardinal Kikuchi is standing firm while the culture collapses around him.
This is what happens when society trades moral education for convenience. When personal autonomy becomes more sacred than human life. When "reproductive rights" mean the right to end reproduction after it's already started.
The cardinal said he cannot approve measures that may take human life without adequate moral education. He's right. Japan hasn't prepared its people morally or educationally for this. They've just made death easier to access.
And he's standing virtually alone. Not a single other major religious leader in Japan has spoken out publicly. Not one politician has pushed back. The medical associations raised "concerns" about training. But Cardinal Kikuchi is the only one calling it what it is.
This is courage. This is what Christian witness looks like in a secular age. One man. One voice. Speaking truth when everyone else stays silent.
TAKE ACTION
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan https://www.cbcj.catholic.jp/en/
Human Life International https://www.hli.org/
Email: hli@hli.org
Phone: 1-800-549-5433
Students for Life https://studentsforlife.org/
