start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=62 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=285 end-page=296 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2008 dt-pub=200810 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Study of Views on Posthumous Reproduction, Focusing on Its Relation with Views on Family and Religion in Modern Japan en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=

Posthumous reproduction has been performed in Japan several times, without sufficient civic discussion on its appropriateness or legislative regulation. There have even been several lawsuits on posthumous acknowledgment (in which a baby born to a deceased father has the same birthright as a baby born to a living father), and some judgments have proposed the need to develop societal agreement on posthumous reproduction and suggested legislative settlement. With this background, this study aims to clarify the views of the Japanese people regarding posthumous reproduction. In December 2007, we distributed a questionnaire on posthumous reproduction in relation to beliefs about family and religion to 32 universities across the country, and received 3,719 replies. It was found that about 60ｵ of respondents agreed with posthumous reproduction. Statistical analysis was applied to the relationship between this overall position on posthumous reproduction and views on assisted reproduction technologies, family, religion, and so on. The degree of support for posthumous reproduction was strongly correlated with the degree of affirmation of assisted reproduction technologies and a liberal worldview with emphasis on self-determination. On the other hand, there was also a strong correlation with having a traditional view of family, such as family succession. The degree of support for posthumous reproduction was also highly correlated with the intimacy among family members, underlying which was a strong connection to the traditional religious belief in Japan that deceased family members watch the living ones. The view on posthumous reproduction is culturally complex and cannot be explained by a simple dichotomy between traditional conservatives and liberals.

en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=UedaNoriyuki en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Noriyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KushiNobutaka en-aut-sei=Kushi en-aut-mei=Nobutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakatsukaMikiya en-aut-sei=Nakatsuka en-aut-mei=Mikiya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgawaTatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Ogawa en-aut-mei=Tatsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanishiYoshiko en-aut-sei=Nakanishi en-aut-mei=Yoshiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShishidoKeisuke en-aut-sei=Shishido en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=AwayaTsuyoshi en-aut-sei=Awaya en-aut-mei=Tsuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Bioethics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Arts and Entertainments, The Chugoku Newspaper Office affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Nursing, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences affil-num=5 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Nursing, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=6 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Socio-Economic Planning and Policy Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences affil-num=7 en-affil= kn-affil=Department of Bioethics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences en-keyword=posthumous reproduction kn-keyword=posthumous reproduction en-keyword=consciousness kn-keyword=consciousness en-keyword=bioethics kn-keyword=bioethics en-keyword=religion kn-keyword=religion en-keyword=Japan kn-keyword=Japan END