The Toyama University Hospital on June 14 declared a boy under age 6 brain dead. Later his heart was transplanted into a girl under age 10, his liver into another girl younger than 10, and his kidneys into a woman in her 60s.
As much information as possible about the brain death and the organ transplants should be made public while protecting the boy's and his family's privacy. Such information disclosure is necessary to examine whether the procedures leading to the transplants were proper and to ensure the integrity of the system under which young children become organ donors.
The Organ Transplant Law went into effect in 1997. But the law, placed strict conditions on organ transplants, including the preparation of signed donor cards for potential donors, and prohibited organ transplants from children under age 15.