Miyako Kudo addresses an Osaka fertility clinic during a speaking engagement on understanding and supporting women without children. | COURTESY OF MIYAKO KUDO
Jul 25, 2026
Miyako Kudo is married, in her 50s, and childless.
Over a decade ago, looking to connect with other women who didn’t have children, she hosted a casual tea gathering.
What she expected to be an informal meetup brought many in the room to tears as a dozen attendees opened up about years of unspoken pain — of having nowhere to turn, feeling they had disappointed their parents, and navigating life in the dark.
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