Girls who continue studying “end up becoming hostesses”: Japanese politician

Tsuneo Akaeda, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, has provoked some controversy by suggesting at an April 12th meeting on child poverty that girls who take correspondence courses end up becoming hostesses.

The bizarre leap in logic — as if LDP politicians have the right to look down on hostesses anyway, given how they are frequent patrons of hostess clubs, and some legislators even started off their careers as hostesses — was made by the 72-year-old and quoted in the media.

“Even if girls take correspondence courses because their parents have made them do it, they just end up becoming hostesses anyway,” said Akaeda.

The former obstetrician and gynaecologist from the ruling LDP was arguing against the suggest to expand college scholarships for students who grew up in children’s institutions.

“This is disappointing. Attending high school and university should be one’s own personal responsibility,” he said.

Students who are forced to continue their education “end up marrying after getting pregnant and then divorcing, and becoming single parents living in poverty while still at a young age.”

In most other countries, conservative politicians would probably agree that it’s the opposite situation — rather than attempting to better yourself through education — that leads to people getting pregnant early.

We can only speculate that Akaeda’s favorite young hostesses are all former college students and he is basing his strange views on this personal experience. Perhaps he would like to confess something?