The issue of infertility can be contentious, but a manga in Japan is nonetheless providing a context for it to gain wider recognition while touching the hearts of many readers through a popular comic magazine.
Would-be mothers who seek medical help to overcome infertility issues are finding it difficult to access associated mental health support due to a lack of such services in Japan, adding increased angst to a process that can already be emotionally trying.
Japan will give national public employees up to 10 days of paid leave a year to receive fertility treatments starting next January, in a bid to support couples hoping to have a baby as the country grapples with a rapidly declining birth rate.