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Tag - divorce

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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DIVORCE

The Kyoto District Court in the city of Kyoto heard a complaint Wednesday from a man who says his estranged wife presented someone else's sperm as his and was able to undergo successful fertility treatment using it without his awareness.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 4, 2026
Man sues hospital after wife gives birth using someone else¡¯s sperm
The woman was sentenced in April 2025 for forging the man¡¯s consent form, but the hospital said it gave adequate explanation and that the man¡¯s claims are incorrect.
The Children and Families Agency has established a subsidy system to make it easier to secure child support payments from former spouses.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 4, 2026
Japan to subsidize costs to seize salaries and assets for child support
The subsidy system was created in line with the revised Civil Code, which entered into force Wednesday.
Japan's rollout of a new joint custody system for divorcing couples has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with some abuse survivors voicing concerns over continued contact with or interference from former partners while proponents welcomed the move because it puts the country more in line with international standards.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Mar 31, 2026
Japan rolls out new joint custody system
The change ends the country¡¯s long-standing sole custody framework, under which only one parent could retain parental rights following a divorce.
The high court in Osaka Prefecture, near Wakayama Prefecture, dismissed the prosecution's appeal against the Wakayama District Court's December 2024 ruling that had found the defendant not guilty.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Mar 24, 2026
Osaka High Court upholds ex-wife¡¯s acquittal in ¡®Don Juan of Kishu¡¯ case
The wealthy businessperson¡¯s wife was indicted in May 2021 on suspicion of murdering him by making him take a lethal dose of a stimulant drug at their home in 2018.
Until now, sole custody was the only option a divorced couple had, in contrast with many Western countries where joint custody is commonplace.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / EXPLAINER
Mar 24, 2026
What you need to know about Japan¡¯s new joint custody system
For the first time ever, revisions to the family law will allow parents to choose between sole custody or joint custody following a divorce.
With parental authority at stake, abuse victims¡¯ looming fear of the possibility that their ex-spouse could once again be in their lives is real. But the frustration of the current sole custody arrangement for a noncustodial parent is also hard to ignore.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
Mar 24, 2026
Fear and fairness: Japan¡¯s joint custody reform sparks debate
From April, Japan will allow joint parental authority. For some, that means more time with their child, but for domestic abuse survivors, there is only fear.
Under a revised Civil Code, joint parental custody of children and a statutory child support system after divorce will be introduced.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
Dec 25, 2025
Japan to start joint parental custody after divorce in April
The new framework represents a major shift in the post-World War II legislative system governing families.
More than a quarter of married people in Japan report spousal violence of some kind, and nearly 1 in 10 women have experienced financial abuse, according to a 2023 survey by the Japan Cabinet Office.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Dec 8, 2025
Finding a way forward from financial abuse
In Japan, nearly 1 in 10 married women have been the victim of financial abuse. Two expats share their stories, along with the resources and advice that helped them through.
Under a new framework announced by the Justice Ministry, a custodial parent will be entitled to ?20,000 ($128) per child per month from the other parent after a divorce even without a negotiated or court-ordered child-support agreement.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Nov 28, 2025
Japan finalizes statutory child support payment at ?20,000 per child?
Though there were calls for the support amount to be higher, the Justice Ministry says it is appropriate as it is designed to serve as a ¡°temporary and supplementary¡± measure.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (center) and other ministers prior to a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister¡¯s Office on Friday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Oct 31, 2025
Japan to introduce joint child custody system in April 2026
A system of statutory child support will also be introduced on the same date.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won arrives to attend a hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul in December 2016.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Oct 16, 2025
South Korean top court partially overturns SK Group chief¡¯s near $1B divorce deal
Last year, the Seoul High Court said Chey should pay $972.5 million to his estranged wife, Roh So-yeong, as part of their planned divorce and additional funds in alimony.
The Justice Ministry has drafted an ordinance proposing a legally mandated post-divorce child support amount of ?20,000 per child per month, sources said.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Aug 29, 2025
Statutory post-divorce child support to be set at ?20,000 a month
According to a 2021 welfare ministry survey, only 28.1% of single-mother households and 8.7% of single-father households had actually received child support from the other parents.
Forbidden from seeing friends and forced to devote herself to housework, Reina (whose name has been changed), a 37-year-old Filipino national living in the city of Nagoya, became socially isolated.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 7, 2025
Foreign single mothers struggle with language barriers and visas
Experts are urging the government to create a safer environment where these women can continue living in Japan without fear.
People walk past a banner that reads "no to divorce" outside the Quiapo Church in Manila. The Philippines is one of just two countries ¡ª along with Vatican City ¡ª where divorce is illegal, and the Catholic Church retains a powerful grip on society and outsize influence on politics.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Feb 11, 2025
Philippine divorce activists vow to fight on
The Philippines is one of just two countries ¡ª along with Vatican City ¡ª where divorce remains illegal.
A handout photo shows Kosuke Nozaki (right), who was found dead of a drug overdose, and Saki Sudo, who was his wife.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Dec 12, 2024
28-year-old widow of ¡®Don Juan of Kishu¡¯ acquitted of his murder
Prosecutors had argued that Saki Sudo, 28, somehow caused her wealthy 77-year-old husband Kosuke Nozaki to ingest drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
People holds a banner saying "Protect children from joint custody after divorce" during a rally outside the parliament building in Tokyo in March.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
Jun 25, 2024
Gender gap fuels disputes as Japan gets joint custody
The change has proved polarizing in a country where campaigners say sole custody acts as a bulwark against forms of domestic abuse.
Tokyo police investigators on May 24 head toward the house in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward where Fuyumi Takanami, 37, and her three children were found dead.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 19, 2024
Tokyo man arrested over murder of ex-wife and three children
The 46-year-old man said that his ex-wife constantly berated him and had been pressuring him to leave the house after their divorce.
To qualify for the advance payment offered by the city of Saitama, the single parent must reside in the city and fulfill several other criteria.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 6, 2024
Saitama aids single parents with advance child support payments
The city will offer a maximum amount of ?50,000 per month per child to the affected parent for up to three months, and seek reimbursement from the former spouse.
Legislation that allows the option of joint custody of children after divorce is passed at the Upper House plenary session on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 17, 2024
Japan changes law to allow joint custody after divorce
For decades in Japan, one parent ¡ª almost always the mother ¡ª has been granted legal custody when a marriage ends.
Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Longform
May 11, 2024
How ¡®Reiwa moms¡¯ are reshaping motherhood in Japan
Five years into the Reiwa Era and the challenges Japan¡¯s moms face are unique, though the qualities that help them persevere haven¡¯t changed a bit.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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