Prime Minister Taro Aso has committed yet another verbal gaffe, advising poor young people not to marry.
Young people "better not get married with little money," Aso said at an event Sunday in Tokyo organized by university students. "It seems rather difficult to me that someone without any pay can be seen as an object of respect (worthy of a partner)."
His remark, just a week before the election, was in response to a student's question about young people who do not feel they have enough money to get married, and whether this has led to more late marriages, which have in turn contributed to Japan's low birthrate.
Aso apparently meant that people need a certain level of financial resources to support a family. But his remark could be criticized as lacking thoughtfulness to people left jobless or poor due partly to the economic downturn.
At the event, Aso acknowledged the difficulty in relying on general trends because each person's circumstances are different.
"I was late to marry even though I was not quite poor," Aso said. "I can't say carelessly because I think it depends on the person."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura defended his Aso on Monday, telling a news conference, "The expression was direct, but I think it was a reflection of his feelings that measures must be taken to tackle young people's job problems."