FOCUS: Osaka’s Izumisano Seeks Early Launch of City-Led Baby Hatch

Izumisano, Osaka Pref., April 28 (Jiji Press)–Izumisano, a city in western Japan’s Osaka Prefecture, is seeking to open a baby hatch during the current fiscal year through March 2027, allowing parents who are unable to care for their infants to leave them safely and anonymously. The city is also planning to introduce a system to accept anonymous childbirth, under which only designated hospital staff would have access to the mother’s identity. If implemented, the two initiatives would be the third of their kind in Japan, following similar programs at Jikei Hospital in the southwestern city of Kumamoto and at San-ikukai Hospital in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward. They would also represent the country’s first such effort led by a local government. Fortress for Protecting Lives Izumisano’s initiatives reflect Mayor Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu’s strong conviction that the city must serve as “a stronghold for protecting lives,” amid growing concern over a seemingly endless series of cases involving abandoned newborns. In many instances, baby abandonment and abuse are linked to circumstances such as unplanned pregnancies and poverty. Such a drop-off system is intended as an emergency measure to protect children’s lives and to support mothers who are unable to disclose their pregnancies or childbirth to those around them, leaving them isolated and beyond the reach of government assistance. Japan’s first baby hatch was established at Jikei Hospital in 2007. The service drew criticism from some who argued that it “could encourage child abandonment” and “will undermine a child’s right to know their origins.” Nevertheless, a second facility was opened last year at San-ikukai Hospital. At a city assembly meeting in March, Chiyomatsu announced that the city would “take concrete steps toward introduction (of a baby hatch).” The Izumisano government also recognized the need for administrative leadership in upholding human rights and protecting the right to life–two of the core principles enshrined in its basic ordinance on children enacted in 2024, a city official said. The city has named its planned baby hatch “Akachan Inochi no Baton” (Baton of Life for Babies), reflecting its aim of “passing life on to the future from mothers facing hardship,” the official said. Coordination with Prefecture The facility will be established at Rinku General Medical Center, a core regional hospital. To prepare for the launch of the service, the city plans to renovate part of the hospital and has allocated 150 million yen in the fiscal 2026 budget for related project costs. As the city moves toward introducing the system, it faces challenges that are different from those in earlier cases. Because it is not an ordinance-designated major city or a municipality with equivalent administrative authority, its local child consultation services fall under the jurisdiction of the Osaka prefectural government. As a result, close coordination with the prefecture will be essential. If a baby is left at the hatch, the hospital would be required to notify the local child consultation center, which would then handle procedures such as placing the child in an infant home or arranging foster care. The prefectural government is approaching the issue cautiously. Child consultation centers across Osaka are already under significant strain as they handle a growing number of child abuse cases, while available care facilities and registered foster parents remain in short supply. Officials are concerned that, depending on how many infants are left at the facility, the system could place additional pressure on already stretched child welfare resources, an official at the family support section said. “The protection of children in need of care across the prefecture could be affected,” the official said. Using Hometown Tax Donations Another challenge concerns children’s right to know their origins. In cases of anonymous birth, central government guidelines issued in 2022 call on medical institutions to preserve information about the mother’s identity permanently and to obtain her consent before disclosing that information to the child. An official from the Izumisano city government expressed concern, however, saying, “The guidelines are intended for private medical institutions and do not necessarily apply to cases managed by administrative bodies.” Efforts are now underway to establish operational procedures for the infant drop-off service. In January, the city government launched a working group with Rinku General Medical Center. Drawing on findings from on-site reviews of similar pioneering initiatives, the city is working to finalize the design of access routes to the baby hatch and procedures for attempting to contact mothers. It also aims to ensure that staff are prepared to respond appropriately to mothers and children in a wide range of circumstances. To help cover the operating costs, Izumisano plans to use its welfare fund, financed through the “furusato nozei” hometown donation program, under which donors receive tax exemptions. In late March, the city launched a crowdfunding campaign through the program. “We want to provide support that is closely attuned to pregnant and postpartum women who are struggling with worries they feel unable to share with anyone,” a city official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]