The controversial "baby hatch" set up at a Kumamoto hospital in 2007 to enable people to leave infants anonymously took in a total of 125 babies over nine years through March last year.

Ahead of its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, Taiji Hasuda, president of Jikei Hospital in the city of Kumamoto, said Tuesday that his hospital played a role in saving the lives of babies through the program.

"We began this program to allow people who do not want their (pregnancy and delivery) to be known to feel safe in entrusting their babies," he said at a news conference in the city.