'Life after is more important': A child of Japan's baby hatch

very noble

Dear Miyatsu-san,

You are a gift to the world! Thankfully, you have the clarity of vision to think "beyond the box" and see your true worth. How wonderful that you are already helping other children at your local church who need some extra support and care! Five years ago, I quit my job teaching privileged kids at international schools in Japan to create a non-profit, JOEE.jp, that brings lively, puppet-assisted native-level English lessons to children growing up in care homes. The goal is to give these children a boost in their education and joy in their lives as they interact with highly qualified volunteers. Please email me at ruth@joee.jp if you are able to connect us with orphanages near you. We are in the process of training a new batch of JOEE teachers right now. JOEE stands for "Joyful Opportunity English Education." You can find more information at our website, JOEE.jp. There's also a related YouTube channel with recorded English lessons and read-alouds -- Look up "Ruth Gilmore Ingulsrud" + YouTube online.

What a wonderful young man he has grown into with the love and support of a good family. It's nice to read a heartwarming story for a change.

@JOEE (dot) jp What an admirable initiative. I checked out your website and saw you injured your arm on a charity ride. Hope it is healing well! I will explore your website further as your cause is something I am interested in supporting.

I like this article. JapanToday, this is the type of article I think you can focus on, news or articles on Japan we don't find elsewhere. Skip the international articles that don't have anything to do with Japan.

They argue it can prevent the abuse and even death of children, and in 15 years, 161 babies and toddlers have been left with them.

About 10 a year.

Regardless, if there is ever a story to read alongside Roe v. Wade, this is it.

RedstormToday  08:58 pm JST

This life story does nothing to invalidate the need for terminations.

Other than for the part that does invalidate the need for terminations.

A women's health is a decision made between her and her doctors. Not third-party lawyers and politicians. But this is a Japanese story and here terminations are available.

Not all the time it isn't. And don't doctors have to follow the laws?

In Japan, can a 12 year old pregnant girl get a legal abortion without her parents?

And in the US, like Japan, terminations are available.

In the US many states have banned terminations even in the cases of rape and incest.

And in many states abortions are allowed.

You do not accept terminations. Which is your state and what are their laws? Of course, being a male you will not know the stress of a termination.

You didn't answer my question: In Japan, can a 12 year old pregnant girl get a legal abortion without her parents?

RedstormToday  09:24 pm JST

A women's health is a decision made between her and her doctors. Not third-party lawyers and politicians. But this is a Japanese story and here terminations are available.

Wait--it looks like politicians are involved in the abortion decision in Japan because:

Chapter XXIX of the Penal Code of Japan makes abortion de jure illegal.

Sounds like Koichi Miyatsu is a case that shows the success of not having an abortion,

How can you understand the stress of a dead person

Because I don't want to die.

I support the right of the mother to decide what will happen to her pregnancy whether to terminate it or see through to birth. It's her business and her and her doctor's decision.

Well, this is the whole argument. And it seems like Japan also has laws that do not make abortion just a woman's and her doctor's decision.

I think the easier decision is to not engage in promiscuous premarital sex.

RedstormToday  11:20 pm JST

Here the abortion laws are in place allowing a termination decision to be made between the mother and her doctor and if the mother is a child the consent of the parents will be required.

But the laws govern those decisions. Same in US.

I am very happy about the story of Koichi Miyatsu. Thousands more births happen than terminations.

In Japan it is estimated the number of abortions is actually three times higher thsn government numbers, which would put the number of abortions the same as the number of births.

The laws here are consistent across prefectures unlike the situation of individual states in the US.

It is a different legal system, so that makes sense.

Not all abortions are because of promiscuous premarital sex. That sounds like some white Christian sense of mortality.

What are the reasons for those hundreds of thousands of pregnancies? And apparently in the case of Koichi Miyatsu, his mother was not a white with a Christian sense of morality.

The best thing that I got out of this story is, here you have a young man that was given up, and has grown up to share part of his own life story. The greatest love is, in spite of what path his early life took he is giving back to other in return to those who are also in need of help. Kudos to him and I wish him well in the rest of his life.

@mountainpear -- Thanks for your interest and support of JOEE.jp. My broken wrist is slowly healing up.... I can type again! It is a wonderful thing to read stories like that of Koichi Miyastu, who is thriving despite the challenges. Japan politicians worry about the falling birthrate but do not do enough to support the children that are already here. So much more could be done for children growing up without the support of a family.

Keep it up! More humanity less hypocrisy. Whens the morning after pill being made readily available again.....