The Noda administration on March 9 submitted a bill related to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Abduction to the Diet. Once Japan joins the convention, Japanese married or formerly married to foreigners and living abroad must keep in mind that the often-employed method of removing their children from their country of habitual residence and bringing them to Japan once their marriage has ended will not work any more.
The government must enlighten Japanese, especially women, about the convention. It also must make preparations at its diplomatic missions abroad to provide assistance to Japanese who are involved in child custody disputes.
Under the bill, if a Japanese parent removes his or her child under the age of 16 from the child's country of habitual residence and the left-behind parent requests the child's return, a Japanese family court, either in Tokyo or Osaka, will decide whether the child should be returned after paying due consideration to the opinion of the child.