Thoughts on divorce, from children of divorce
Divorce has been in the news lately, specifically following the arrest of an divorced American father who was jailed while attempting to "rescue his children" from his estranged wife in Japan. I put that in quotes only because the concept of right vs. wrong is still very much in question here.
The father, Christopher Savoie, snatched his children while they walked to school with their mother in Japan. He is now in prison for kidnapping, and this is where it gets interesting. In an interview with CNN he states that his ex-wife Norika is actually the real kidnapper.
The issue here is that Japanese law states that custody in divorce cases should be granted to a single parent. Culturally, this typically falls to the mother, and while Christopher's case might be getting press in the US, it's coverage in Japan is actually indicative of the norm -- divorced Japanese fathers typically must fight for the ability to see their children.
Masahiro Yoshida, a 58-year-old musician, is actively fighting to get custody in Japan. His ex-wife, Akemi Kurahashi, is open to granting Yoshida visitation rights, but with some hesitation.
The father, Christopher Savoie, snatched his children while they walked to school with their mother in Japan. He is now in prison for kidnapping, and this is where it gets interesting. In an interview with CNN he states that his ex-wife Norika is actually the real kidnapper.
The issue here is that Japanese law states that custody in divorce cases should be granted to a single parent. Culturally, this typically falls to the mother, and while Christopher's case might be getting press in the US, it's coverage in Japan is actually indicative of the norm -- divorced Japanese fathers typically must fight for the ability to see their children.
"In Japan, nobody thinks it's a problem if a mother takes away her children without consent," said Hideki Tani, a lawyer who has taken on cases of fathers seeking access to their children. "Here, it's common for either parent to completely lose contact with children, but people outside Japan find it outrageous."
Masahiro Yoshida, a 58-year-old musician, is actively fighting to get custody in Japan. His ex-wife, Akemi Kurahashi, is open to granting Yoshida visitation rights, but with some hesitation.
"I will swallow my own feelings if my daughter is happy seeing her dad," she said. "But I still fear he may end up hurting me or her someday."
Today the good folks over at Current Exposed passed me their latest interview with Max and Jason. In the interview, the guys discuss issues of divorce in the US with Douglas Caballero. There are certainly stark contrasts in the way Japan handles custody in divorce cases. Max and Jason's insights reflect some of the thoughts and feelings of children of divorced families in the US, and it added a level of context missing from the Japanese divorce stories. While the cultural decision of granting sole custody to the Mother may be well intentioned, it misses one very crucial aspect -- the wants and needs of the children involved.
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