‘Hurry Up And Die’ Japan Finance Minister Tells Elderly

If Japan’s new finance minister, Taro Aso, has to be asked on how to reduce the cost of caring and feeding Japan’s elderly population, his answer is simple – ‘hurry up and die’.

Via The Guardian:

Aso’s comments come after figures released earlier this month showed that the country saw its largest population drop in more than a century last year and is now aging faster than any other in the world.

More than 20 percent of its 128 million population is already over 65 and set to double to more than 40 percent within the next 50 years while birthrates continues to plummet.

The country faces a bleak future where there will be more dependent children and elderly than those in the age-range where they can work and contribute, the report said.

Aso, who is also the deputy Prime Minister, described those dependent on feeding tubes as ‘tube people’ and said it cost ‘tens of millions of yen’ a month to care for them.

The 72-year-old claimed he would refuse end-of-life care and that he had given his family instructions not to give him life-prolonging care.

According to the report, his comments come ahead of expected welfare cuts due to be announced in the next budget in the next few days and enforced from April.

Taro Aso has already apologized for his comments.