Food and Drink during the Japanese New Year

It seems like the US and a few other countries are FINALLY getting serious about making Japan take responsibility in “allowing” Japanese previously in international marriages to kidnap their kid(s). Check out my previous posts on parental abductions are posted here. 

The United States and three other western nations Thursday urged Japan to sign an accord against parental child abductions, saying scores of children are being held in the country.

U.S., French, British and Canadian diplomats launched the rare joint appeal at a U.S. Embassy press conference, listing cases of foreign parents who have been unable to see their children in Japan after a breakup or divorce.

“We do feel a sense of urgency because the number of cases is increasing very dramatically,” said acting U.S. ambassador to Japan James Zumwalt.

“I think because we have more and more international marriages, we can expect in the future a further increase in the number of these cases.”

The United States had received reports of 73 cases of parental abductions involving 104 children in Japan, said Michele Bond, the U.S. State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for overseas citizen services.

In 29 more cases, all family members were in Japan, but the U.S. parent was denied access to a child after a separation or divorce, she said. Click here for the rest of the story. (Note: the child in the picture has not been abducted)

Click here to read the Joint Statement (English, Japanese and French languages) issued at the US Embassy Tokyo.

From the US Embassy webpage: