William An update to Kirk’s post regarding Jikei Hospital, which continues its lead in dragging Japanese sexual and reproductive health issues into the 21st C. At issue is the “shussan todoke” (出生届, report of birth), which by law must list at least on parent in order for a child to be registered as a Japanese citizen under the koseki (戸籍) law - more here about that: https://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00385/.) To those familiar with the biology of reproduction, the maternity of a child is quite more easily ascertained than the paternity. As such, children born with either uncertain or unstated paternity are included only on the mother’s koseki - and, once listed, the fact that that woman has had a child of unknown paternity can only be erased by adoption of a later male spouse. This info is available to anyone willing to cough up a fee at city hall for a copy. This not only grossly violates rights of the mother; it also does that of the child, as those with no registered paternity often find their opportunities restricted. Furthermore, children with no parental registry may even have their right to education curtailed. What Jiseki Hospital has done is to supply a certificate of birth with the names of both parents blank. The ball is now in the hands of prefectural officials - and ultimately the courts - to determine whether this is legal, and, if not, whether they have determined the child to be stateless or whether the law should be rectified. (This is rather a complicated topic, and if I have errored in my comprehension, please inform me.) Link to Kumanichi article and image of Jikei Hospital: https://kumanichi.com/articles/555437