By Justin McCurry
    The Guardian UK

    Monday 29 January 2007

    Japan's health minister did nothing to endear himself to female voters over the weekend when he described women as "birth-giving machines" and implored them to "do their best" to halt the country's declining birthrate.

    In a speech to Liberal Democratic party members in western Japan, Hakuo Yanagisawa said women of child-bearing age should perform a public service by raising the birthrate, which fell to a record low of 1.26 children per woman in 2005. Experts say an average fertility rate of 2.1 children is needed to keep the population stable.

    "The number of women aged between 15 and 50 is fixed," Mr Yanagisawa, 71, said. "Because the number of birth-giving machines and devices is fixed, all we can do is ask them to do their best per head ... although it may not be so appropriate to call them machines."

    Mr Yanagisawa's reported admission that the description had been "too uncivil" failed to silence his critics.

    "It was extremely rude towards women," said Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic party. "Having children or not having children is naturally a matter that women and households are free to decide themselves."

    The minister's remarks come as the government tries to encourage women to have bigger families. Many blame the cost of raising children and social pressure to leave work when they become pregnant for women's reluctance to have children.

    In response the government supports proposals to increase childcare facilities in the workplace and encourage firms to introduce flexible working hours to allow staff more time to raise families.

    Recent figures show that Japan's fertility rate rose slightly in 2005, but it is thought to have fallen again last year.

    Experts have warned that the trend will stifle economic growth and further strain on the creaking pension system in a country where one in five is aged 65 or over.

    In 2005 the population went into decline for the first time since the second world war, and the health ministry estimates it will shrink to 89 million by 2055.