July 2009

Rissho Kosei-kai Condemns Revision of Organ Transplant Law

On July 13, a bill to revise Japan's Organ Transplant Law was passed by the Japanese parliament's upper house, the House of Councillors. The bill, known as Plan A, recognizes brain death as legal death and permits the donation of organs of brain-dead juveniles under the age of fifteen with the family's consent.

Later that day Rissho Kosei-kai spoke out against the revision in an emergency statement by the chair of its board of trustees, Rev. Yasutaka Watanabe. The statement expresses Rissho Kosei-kai's fear that the revision, prompted by a pent-up demand for organs for transplant, would undermine the sanctity of life by accepting brain death as actual death. Rissho Kosei-kai is promoting broad public opposition to the revision.

On July 13 the statement also was sent to the chairmen of the Health, Labour, and Welfare committees of both houses of parliament, and copies were as well as other concerned members of parliament.

August 7, 2009

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