I’m Bill Tsutsui with another Postcard from Asia from the Center for East Asian Studies.

From the “Accessories for Pregnant Women in Japan” file, this just in: Rail companies in Japan are offering badges to pregnant women to encourage other riders to give up their seats for them on Tokyo’s crowded commuter trains. The badges – which come in pink and blue – read “There’s a baby in my stomach” and are designed to let other riders know when a woman is pregnant . One might well conclude that, if your average Japanese cannot spot an expectant mother a mile off, it might just help explain why the nation’s population is in such rapid decline. But honestly, there is that early stage of pregnancy when identification badges could be helpful. They might just think about changing the text however to “Baby on Board on Board”.

With thanks to Randi Hacker for this text, from the Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Bill Tsutsui. Wish you were here.