When a young Vietnamese woman found out late last year that she was pregnant after arriving in Japan on a technical trainee visa, she was given a stark choice: "Have an abortion or go back to Vietnam."
But returning home would leave her unable to pay back the $10,000 she borrowed to pay recruiters there.
"She needs to stay to pay back her debts," said Shiro Sasaki, secretary-general of the Zentoitsu (All United) Workers Union, who has advocated on her behalf and said such threats are common.