Japan's new male minister in charge of tackling birthrate straps on 'pregnancy belly'

TOKYO • Prime Minister Fumio Kishida replaced the female minister in charge of tackling Japan's falling birthrate and installed a man who sought to deepen his understanding of the issue by trying out a "pregnancy belly".

Mr Kishida reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday and named former Bank of Japan official Masanobu Ogura, 41, to take over the post from ruling party veteran Seiko Noda, 61, a mother of one.

In an interview with the Associated Press last month, she blamed a male-dominated political world for "indifference and ignorance" over a plunging birthrate that has become an increasingly serious threat to its economy.

Mr Ogura, who is married with no children, tried out a "pregnancy belly" in a project organised by the youth division of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in April last year.

Mr Kishida told a news conference he mobilised a "young and fresh perspective" to address the problem of a declining population in appointing Mr Ogura.

Mr Ogura said the enhancement of policies helping families to raise children is an urgent task, according to the Kyoiku newspaper, adding that "the moment of truth is now".

Mr Ogura and two other male lawmakers were to keep the 7.3kg pregnancy bellies on while going about their daily routines, in order to understand the burden on the body of carrying a child, the Sankei newspaper reported at the time.

The suit, worn strapped to the torso, is meant to simulate the weight gain at the seven-month point of a pregnancy, according to Mr Ogura's blog. He said he had experienced back pain while wearing the jacket and found himself worrying about other passengers on a crowded train bumping up against him.

BLOOMBERG