Work on developing a legal framework for assisted reproductive technology, in which a child is born using the sperm or egg from a third person, has failed to make substantive progress in Japan.
In the current situation, the right of children born through fertility treatment to know their biological parents is not guaranteed, meaning in vitro fertilization using a third person's sperm or egg is effectively impossible.
While efforts to reach a consensus have hit a snag over issues such as who should be eligible for assisted reproductive technology and whether surrogate birth should be allowed, there have been growing calls for the early establishment of related legislation.