The article "Records of forced sterilizations found" in the Jan. 27 edition reminds us of the dark side of Japanese history.
Many Japanese women were forced to get abortions or undergo sterilization surgery against their will. Not only disabled people but also people living with Alzheimer's disease were victims.
We should also learn that such practices and laws, in consequence, enabled the Japanese to permit abortions relatively quickly as authorities were afraid of having a lot of American and Japanese mixed babies after the end of World War II.
This article tells us that we should always learn from or be reminded of dark periods of history.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.