[RealJames]

Since it's the Japan Forum, I thought I'd do some digging so I asked my gf about it a little.

She said in Japan apparently fathers seem to have the "right" to not take responsibility.
She said if a woman takes a man to court she might get some money out of him, alimony-wise I mean, but that the court process in Japan is incredibly lengthy, costly, and tiring. She also said that a father can deny being the father in which case the child is fatherless on paper and some women offer "if you accept to be his father legally then I will ask no money of you and you don't need to be a part of the child's life".

So it would seem that in Japan the "rights" of the man are stronger than in other (western?) countries with respect to pregnancies.

Like I said, this is from my gf's mouth and her experiences. I couldn't substantiate any of it with documentation cuz that (legal) kanji level is so far beyond what I can do!