Opinion survey on cloning

There was not much “public” discussion of human cloning after the establishment of the law. The public response was indifferent, reflecting general disinterest in the legal regulation of human cloning. People believed that the government would support their conviction that the creation of a cloned human individual should be prohibited.

The Prime Minister’s Office conducted an opinion survey on cloning in 1998, the year in which the Sub-committee on cloning was established within the Council for Science and Technology. Respondents were scholars, journalists, physicians, researchers and so on (N = 2,114). The result was considered to reflect the general Japanese attitude toward human cloning. 92.3% had an interest in cloning, and more than 93.5% thought that the creation of a cloned individual was questionable in terms of bioethics. The reasons were:

- Human cloning should not be allowed in terms of human dignity, because humans should be conceived by the involvement of both sexes. 67.7%

- The cloned individual will be regarded as a means for attaining a predefined goal, not as a free individual. 43.6% [9/10]

- It should not be allowed to intentionally determine the characteristics of a human being in advance. 29.8%

- The creation of an individual endowed with specific excellent characteristics might be preferred in the future society. 26.1%

- A cloned individual may be exposed to social discrimination. 14.9%

- It is not guaranteed that the cloned individual can grow up in safety. 10%

(* Emphases added by Morioka)

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The Ethics of Human Cloning and the Sprout of Human Life (2004)
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