This article from the Tokyo Weekender sheds light on the adoption situation in Japan. According to the article, families in Japan are more apt to adopt adults - men in their 20s and 30s - in order to have an heir to inherit the family business. But adopting children is more rare in Japan, says the author, leaving many children to grow up in institutions instead of in family settings.
“It’s very unfortunate that most children in care here have to stay in institutions,” says Eriko Takahashi, Program Director of Disability and Social Welfare at Nippon Foundation. “Just 15% live with foster families—that is a much lower rate than other developed nations. In Australia it is more than 90%, in the UK and the US more than 70%. These countries realize the damage that institutionalization can cause kids, whereas in Japan people just aren’t aware. Speaking to local authority figures there is a general view that institutions are good for kids because they are taken care of in a safe environment; yet whilst this is true, it fails to take into account the psychological impact that these places can have.”