The issue with Japan is that their family law is basically whoever can keep the child the longest and get into court first, their family gets sole, permanent, custody without the ability to contest.
Even if they were cooperative and signed the Hague conventions on child abduction, at this time, their legal system cannot accommodate visitation and joint custody or enforcement of any rulings that might somehow include those concepts. If Japan signed the Hague convention today every case would require special ministry of foreign affairs intervention. Given their lack of response to the US State Dept. to date on this issue, the liklihood of any success being had is hard to imagine.
Japan needs to respond to the numerous foreign governments who are pushing them on this, the US parent groups who are pushingfor this and te domestic Japanese parent groups and legislators who are pushing for family law reform.
We can do our part by getting more HR 125 legislation pushed through and applying pressure to our legislators and the State Dept. to OPENLY discuss this issue with Japan and many other non-Hague signatories with whom we have child abductions on file.
Thank you,
Carl Hillman
Seattle WA
