Japan and International Parental Child Abduction

Objective

This page provides current information on U.S. Government efforts:

  • to encourage the Government of Japan to ratify the Hague Abduction Convention;
  • to seek the return of children who have been abducted to Japan;
  • and to facilitate meaningful access between parents and their children residing in Japan.

For more information about Japan and International Parental Child Abduction, see the following link:

http://travel.state.gov/abduction/country/country_501.html

Map of Japan

 

Statistics

The Office of Children’s Issues depends on proactive reporting of international parental child abduction cases. Our statistics reflect only what has been reported to our office.

The following statistics are current as of January 7, 2011.

  • Since 1994, the Office of Children’s Issues has opened 230 cases involving 321 children abducted to or wrongfully retained in Japan.
  • The Office of Children’s Issues has 100 active cases involving 140 children.
  • The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo reports an additional 31 cases in which both parents and the child(ren) reside in Japan but one parent has been denied access to the child(ren).

The Office of Children’s Issues has no record of cases that have been resolved successfully through favorable Japanese court orders. Successful returns from Japan have occurred through voluntary measures or agreements between the parents. The Office of Children’s Issues maintains permanent records of all reported cases.

 

Articles on Japanese Law

This article provides information about the Japanese legal system as it pertains to abduction and child custody.  Please note that the opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of State.

This document is a research paper funded by the U.S. Department of State.  This paper has not been officially published by the Department.  Please note that the opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of State.

 

Press Coverage

 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara speak with reporters following their meeting at the State Department in Washington on Thursday.
AP

(Unofficial translation)

I would like to add my voice to Leila’s plea. After learning of Leila’s moving story, I am even more determined to seek the swift resolution of the cases of more than 100 abducted American children in Japan.

International parental child abduction to Japan harms these children by depriving them of the opportunity to grow up knowing both of their parents and both of their national heritages. I have already joined seven other embassies in asking the Japanese government to take action on this issue.

The time has surely come for Japan to join the other 82 signatories of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Additionally, it is my hope that Japan will take steps to implement a framework to resolve current abduction cases as well as to allow affected children to have regular contact with both parents following a divorce.

I look forward to working with the government of Japan and Diet members to move ahead as quickly as possible. An increasing number of left-behind parents are missing out on their children’s swiftly-passing childhood, and the abducted children are being deprived of the opportunity to grow up with the love of both parents.

 

Congressional Interest

 

Related Links

 

U.S. Embassy Tokyo

See links below for related information from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s web site: