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Japan scraps end-of-life ad campaign with comedian amid backlash
- A poster that showed comedian Kazutoyo Koyabu lying on what looked like his deathbed, with a message encouraging people to make preparations for their final days was criticised for being in poor taste
- Japan’s population is ageing, with about 3 in 10 people now over the age of 65
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Japan’s health ministry has scrapped a poster campaign encouraging terminally ill people to make preparations for their final days after a fierce backlash from patients and the public.
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The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labour launched the campaign on Monday but recalled the 14,000 posters that had been sent out just 24 hours later in the wake of sharp criticism.
In the advert, a well-known stand-up comedian could be seen lying in a hospital bed looking worried, prompting critics to say that it was in poor taste.
The campaign had been devised to promote a new system – officially called Advance Care Planning but more informally known as “the life meeting” – that was introduced by Japan’s health authorities last year to help those in the twilight of their lives and their families prepare for death.
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Issues of palliative and end-of-life care have become particularly pressing in recent years as Japan’s society rapidly ages. Those older than 65 now account for close to 30 per cent of the population and the proportion is set to increase, according to government figures.
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