In Japan, divorce splits parents from children. Could a law change end sole custody?
Summary
In Japan, divorced parents have until now only been allowed sole custody of their children, meaning one parent loses legal rights and access to the children after separation. A new law starting in April 2026 will allow parents to share custody, aiming to help children keep connections with both parents.Key Facts
- Until now, only one parent had legal custody of children after divorce in Japan.
- This sole custody system often cut off one parent from seeing their children.
- Japan was the only G7 country without joint custody before the law change.
- The new law, effective April 1, 2026, allows divorced parents to share custody.
- In 2024, about 38.5% of marriages in Japan ended in divorce.
- Women kept custody in over 86% of cases under the old system.
- More than 164,000 children under 18 were affected by custody issues in 2024.
- The law aims to benefit children by supporting relationships with both parents and sharing responsibilities.
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