Four years have passed since the city of Kumamoto asked the central government to consider passing a law allowing for confidential births — which allow women to give birth without publicly revealing their identity — but so far there have been few discussions on the issue.
A recent decision by a woman under 20 — who had initially planned to give away her baby after a confidential birth in November but then changed her mind — has shone a spotlight on the question of how to support women with unintended pregnancies and their newborns.