Tokyo’s Catholic leader has condemned Japan’s decision to allow over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill, saying such measures risk undermining respect for human life.

Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, the Archbishop of Tokyo, told UCA News that he “cannot approve measures that may take human life without adequate moral education.”

He said that while he recognized the policy as promoting a woman’s right to self-determination, “life is a gift from God.”

His comments followed Aska Pharmaceutical’s October 20 announcement that its emergency contraceptive pill would be sold without a prescription for the first time in Japan, though intake would still require supervision by a trained pharmacist.

The manufacturer said the move would align Japan with many Western countries and expand access for women.

Medical associations, including the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, raised concerns about limited sex education and pharmacist training.

The debate comes as attitudes toward reproductive healthcare continue to shift globally. In the UK, the morning-after pill became available for free from community pharmacies across England on October 29, 2025, a change described by NHS England as the biggest transformation in sexual health services since the 1960s.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan has long opposed emergency contraceptives. In a 2010 statement, it said such pills could prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum and were therefore “in effect, abortifacient.”

As Japan implements the policy, Church leaders have urged the government to prioritize moral and educational guidance alongside liberalized access to reproductive healthcare.