TJsDad

Thank you for your questions... I really appreciate your interest and willingness to understand this. Here's a bit more detail: Yes, the situation is the result of Japanese family law, which is very different from many other countries. In Japan, there is no system of joint custody after separation or divorce. Under Article 819 of the Japanese Civil Code, only one parent is granted sole custody. Once custody is given to one parent, the other parent loses all legal parental authority, even if they are the biological parent. In my case, the mother of my son is Japanese. After our separation, she was granted sole custody. I am still legally on my son’s koseki (family register) as his father, but I have no enforceable visitation rights. Japan does not have a system to guarantee visitation or penalize custodial parents for denying access. Even if a court "recommends" visitation, it's usually not enforceable in practice. There is no enforcement mechanism like there is in many Western countries. For example, no police involvement, no court orders with penalties, no neutral visitation centers with legal backing. If the custodial parent refuses contact, there is almost nothing the non-custodial parent can do. So even though many countries support shared parenting or at least occasional visitation, Japan treats it as a private matter after custody is awarded, and courts are often reluctant to intervene. I hope that gives you a clearer picture. It’s incredibly painful, but I’m still trying to raise awareness and fight for change. Both for my son and for other parents who are going through the same thing.