U.S. Urges Japan to Sign Custody Treaty After Months of Stalling

Ambassadors from the U.S. are urging the Japanese Foreign Ministry to grant American parents visitation and custody rights to children who have been taken to Japan by ex-spouses. Under Japan’s current child custody laws, only one parent is awarded custody of the children, typically the mother. This limits the amount of time the other parent can see or spend time with his or her children. In some cases, the non-custodial parent doesn’t even get to see their child until the child reaches adulthood.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Japan is the only one among the Group of Seven rich nations” that has yet to sign a 1980 global agreement created to help address international custody disputes and to protect children of broken international marriages. Japan has been claiming it will sign the treaty, but no such action has been taken in the last few months.

Currently, there are more than 70 cases of U.S. parents who cannot access their children, or who are given limited access to their children, due to Japan’s strict custody laws.

The U.S. has been trying to get Japan to sign the treaty for months, and is beginning to get frustrated with its lack of cooperation. Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state, said that if the issue does not get resolved it could raise a real concern. Some people in Washington also feel Japan’s resistance to signing the treaty could jeopardize the U.S. and Japan’s otherwise good relationship.

Takeshi Akamatsu, a spokesperson for Japan’s foreign ministry, said his country intends to fully cooperate with the United States to resolve the problem, while also taking into consideration social and legal aspects within the Japanese culture.

If you are involved in a child custody dispute of any kind, a Los Angeles divorce attorney at the Law Office of Teresa Beyers can provide you with advice, resources, and experienced legal counsel. To arrange a consultation to discuss your case, please contact the office today by calling (213) 236-4400.