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Japan’s first ‘baby hatch’ opens to controversy is a story about yet another way to anonymously abandon babies. The Prime Minister of Japan sounds like a very wise man to me.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has urged Japan to return to “family values,” opposed the idea but found no legal grounds to stop it.
“A mother must not leave her child or abandon him or her anonymously,” Abe told reporters.
He voiced his reservations about the hatch box idea and all that he says make perfect sense to me. And yet, the Catholic Church in Japan decided to plunge ahead with the idea of “hatch boxes” for “unwanted” babies. What an awful term that is, “unwanted.”
Another government official was quoted as saying:
“It is the government’s role to help parents raise children on their own.”
Now there is a novel suggestion!
You might remember that the Japanese government has recently decided that there are not enough babies being born in the country. The advocates of the baby hatch surmise that the baby hatches might “increase the dwinkling birth rate.” Huh? Are they joking? They especially believe that might be the case if the baby hatches become a “trend.” Why on earth would anyone want anonymous abandonment of babies to become a trend? How about a parenting trend instead?
I am thoroughly befuddled at the thought processes that believe that the answer to unplanned pregnancies is anonymous abandonment. Do they believe that a woman would not choose abortion if she knows that she can anonymously abandon her baby? Is there any logic in such a thought?
Why would anyone choose anonymous abandonment? What mental state would someone who chose a baby hatch be in to make that choice? Would they need some counseling themselves?
How much advertising would it take for people to know about baby hatches? I would guess that enough advertising to make a significant difference would be costly. Couldn’t the money spent on that advertising be better used for a campaign to help pregnant young women make a better choice than anonymous abandonment?
Maybe the funds could be better spent on sex education to prevent unintended pregnancies? How about education to make single parenthood less taboo? What about using the funds to support young parents? There are many possibilities, all better in my opinion than sanctioning anonymous abandonment.
Further Reading:
Photo by Jan Baker 2007
Remember that Japan is a different culture. Budists believe in abortion, you just need to pray for forgiveness. My son was adopted from Japan while we were stationed there. His birthmother was Shinto. They do not believe in birth controll or abortion, so where does that leave a woman like his birthmother who cannot support a child on her own? She was paying off her parents debts for their failed business. She had no desire to be a parent in fact my son was the second child she had given up. She had no emotional attachment to him. Did not see him after the birth even though he was in the next room for 3 days. She didn’t want pictures or letters. The adoption process is a little more lengthy than the US. The birthmother cannot just sign her rights away. She had to tell the courts why she cannot support the child, ect. It took us 12 months to finalize his adoption in Japan. I am sure it wasn’t an easy year for the birthmother.
There are also alot of children in the childrens homes that are not available for adoption. Parents place their children there because they cannot afford them, then when the children are 16, they come and claim the child so the child can bring money in for the families.
Adoption is still very tabu in Japan. They are all about the blood ties. I have read stories about couples who adopt a child and move to another town so no one will know their child is adopted. It is changing, but change takes time. So what are young women expected to do when it is so difficult to place a baby for adoption, don’t believe in abortion/birth controll, and is pressured to have sex by their culture? Their government is encouraging women to get pregnant because so many women are not starting to work instead of having families. For every baby born in Japan, 2 people die. Statistically, that is not a goood thing.
The advocates think it could increase the birth rate if it becomes “a trend”? As in they think people will stop preventing conception just so they can be pregnant for nine months and then have the pleasure of fashionably placing a baby in a babybox??????? Maybe I missed the point…. I hope so!!
~Stefanie
They opened the hatch around noon today, by 3 pm someone had placed a 3 – 4 year old boy in it…..
onelittleone – I do understand that adoption and single motherhood is taboo in Japan. However, baby hatches are not the answer. If Japan wants more babies, they need to provide more support and encouragement to parent.
So what are young women expected to do when it is so difficult to place a baby for adoption, don’t believe in abortion/birth control, and is pressured to have sex by their culture? I vote for the parenting option when possible.
Stefanie – you are right – thinking baby hatches will increase birth does not make any sense IMHO.