After a man spoke out about his experience being dropped off in a baby hatch, a new debate has been sparked over the programme that supporters say saves innocent lives but opponents argue encourages child abandonment.
More than 75,000 residents in the southern prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima were asked to evacuate following pounding rains overnight.
No tsunami warning has been issued.
Death toll reaches 48 from two powerful earthquakes in Japan
Rescue teams search rubble to find survivors as major Japanese manufacturers face production losses from supply chain disruptions
Magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes near Kumamoto in southern Japan, killing at least 18 people, day after nine killed in magnitude 6.2 quake
Magnitude 6 quake in southern Japan kills nine and injures hundreds after bringing down buildings
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