In November, a Catholic hospital in Kumamoto disclosed a plan to create a "baby hatch," where women or parents could anonymously leave newborn babies for any reason. But the plan has faced opposition from the Abe administration. Before passing a moral judgment on people who might drop off their babies, it is important for government officials to delve into the kinds of situations in which people, especially pregnant women, may find themselves.
Kumamoto's Jikei Hospital, which does not perform abortions, has been counseling women in distress. It is very likely that those who would use a baby drop box would be women in desperate situations such as women who become pregnant out of wedlock or pregnant mothers of fatherless families. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed reservations about the hospital's plan. "If one has a child, it is important to raise it with responsibility. Of course, we must consider how to deal with those in various circumstances," he told reporters. He also said, "There are already facilities to take care of babies (born of women in difficult circumstances). But I strongly resist the idea of creating a facility where one could anonymously leave babies."
The best way to deal with unwanted babies would be to use the special adoption system, under which the legal relations between children and their real parents are completely severed and not recorded in the family registry of adopted children and their adoptive parents. But there is a shortage of experts at children's welfare centers. In addition, such adoptions are possible only when the real parents come out and express a desire to put their children up for adoption.