For a young mother expecting her second child, concern over whether she can find a day care facility is causing extra stress.

"I'm worried about whether I'll be able to find a slot by the time I return to work," the 34-year-old office worker said as she played with her 6-year-old son in a park in the city of Oita.

There were 350 children on the waiting list for day care facilities in Oita as of April 2016, the eighth-largest figure in the nation. The number rose to 463 this spring.