A heavyweight of the Democratic Party of Japan has sparked controversy by likening the looming shutdown of all nuclear plants in Japan to mass suicide.

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, who now serves as the party's acting chief policy maker, said in a lecture in Nagoya on Monday that shutting down all nuclear plants in Japan would be as serious as mass suicide, given the impact it would have on the nation’s economy and livelihood.

Sengoku reportedly explained the crucial need for resuming operations at nuclear reactors that were shutdown for regular inspections. Regardless, Japanese media commented that using the expression “mass suicide” was inappropriate.