Content Warning: This section of the guide references domestic violence.

Anti-natalism is a set of philosophical and moral views which hold that bringing new people into the world through procreation is an immoral act. In Breasts and Eggs, Kawakami probes the question of who, if anyone, has a right to bear children as Natsu embarks on a solo journey toward motherhood. Delving into anti-natalist arguments, she explores the thin line separating the autonomy of a woman from that of her unborn child.

In Breasts, Midoriko laments the injustice of her birth. Her mother is too poor to support them, and existence in a pubescent female body is agonizingly complicated for Midoriko. She asserts that everyone should stop having babies so there will be no more. However, she seems to move past this belief as she grows older. She and Makiko eventually reconcile, and Midoriko never restates her wish to not exist. She has a loving mother, a healthy relationship, and bright prospects.

In Eggs, Kawakami explores more sophisticated anti-natalist arguments through the character of Yuriko Zen. Conceived through donor conception, Yuriko was sexually abused as a child by her non-biological father. Yuriko states, “Whatever I’ve had to live through, it’s nothing compared to being born” (349), framing birth as an act of violation and violence.