Lawyers and child welfare experts will open a private temporary shelter for about five teenagers on June 1 in Tokyo -- the first facility of its kind in Japan.
The move comes amid a rise in juvenile delinquency and child abuse.
"I've been providing legal support to troubled juveniles for more than 10 years, and I've seen many children with no place to return to under the current public care system," said lawyer Setsuko Tsuboi, head of the nonprofit group Carillon Children Center. "Our shelter will be a place where such youths can feel at ease."