Ayaka Yoshida, a 27-year-old member of Japan’s Communist Party, has reportedly received over 8,000 death threats after advocating for the provision of free sanitary pads in public restrooms.
On 25 March, Yoshida shared on social media that she had begun her period unexpectedly and found no sanitary supplies available at Tsu City Hall, calling for pads to be as accessible as toilet paper.
Yoshida also mentioned a previous city council question about installing bathroom pads, to which the city had been hesitant, suggesting it’s a pressing issue.
Following her post, over 8,000 threatening emails directed at Yoshida, all from the same address with identical messages, were sent to the Mie prefectural assembly starting 28 March, according to the South China Morning Post.
The messages threatened to kill Yoshida, criticizing her for not being prepared, as reported by the Mainichi newspaper, making her feel frightened and intimidated, as she shared on social media on 31 March.
Yoshida filed a complaint with the police, and an investigation is underway. Chisato Kitanaka, from Hiroshima University, believes such harassment is increasingly common in Japan, particularly targeting women who speak out on social issues such as women’s health, working mothers’ rights, and violence against women.