Shizuoka Governor Shames Farmers

Apr 03, 2024 | News On Japan

SHIZOUKA, Apr 03, 2024 (News On Japan) - A speech by Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu to new employees on Monday, April 1, was broadcast in full, stirring controversy with remarks that could be construed as attributing a hierarchy to professions.

During the induction speech to the new employees on Tuesday, April 2, Governor Kawakatsu remarked, "Unlike those who sell vegetables or take care of cows, all of you possess a higher intelligence." These comments have sparked a debate, as they seem to imply a ranking of occupations.

Governor Kawakatsu described the prefectural office as a "think tank," contrasting its work with selling vegetables, caring for cows, or manufacturing. "Essentially, you are people of high intellectual and mental capacity," he said in front of the prefecture's new hires, potentially setting the stage for controversy by seemingly assigning superiority to certain professions.

Previously, Governor Kawakatsu faced criticism in the prefectural assembly for comments that could be interpreted as disregarding single-parent families and looking down on the citizens of Hamamatsu City during a visit from the SSU Bonita, a top-division team in the women's Nadeshiko League.

Source: ANN

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