A government subcommittee proposed legal revisions Tuesday that would allow for joint parental custody of children after divorce, marking the first shift toward introducing a system that is common practice in many other countries.
The proposal comes amid increased attention on bitter custodial battles between divorced parents, with many former spouses unable to see their children under Japan's current policy of sole custody.
The draft proposal on post-divorce child care presented by the family law subcommittee of the Justice Ministry's Legislative Council recommended that parents decide together on whether they have sole or joint custody of their children, with family courts only intervening if there is a dispute.