The major opposition parties had refused to attend the Diet deliberations because of Yanagisawa's comment late last month that women were "birth-giving machines."
They demanded the resignation of the minister of health, labor and welfare.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday in the Diet session that he plans to keep Yanagisawa at his post. And Yanagisawa repeated his apology over his "machine" remark.
But the welfare minister on Tuesday fueled the criticism directed against him when he again talked about the nation's declining birthrate.
"Young people are in an extremely healthy state where they want to marry and want to have two or more children," he said at a news conference.
Critics said Yanagisawa's latest remark can be interpreted to mean that childless couples or those with only one child are in an "unhealthy" state.
Then may it be said that a state producing one child as follows is healthy?
The opposition parties should catch essence of his remark.
They lack in national consciousness.