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© Compiled from news reports$6.1 mil awarded to Tennessee man in Japan child custody battle
NASHVILLE, Tenn©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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Barbara Reder
I was curious about this case so when i did the research today i found out about the 6.1 million.. so my question is.. Christopher san if you every read this.. YOU JUST WANT MONEY AND NOT THE KIDS!>!>!>! Noriko had no lawyer representing her in this matter.. and he won the money? Christopher is a cheater.. he cheated with Amy while he was still married.. He served divorce paper the DAY AFTER Noriko arrived in the USA.. He knew she would be lost.. he knew he could keep her.. I know each parent should get the right to see their kids.. but.. Christopher morality is ridiculous.. HAZUKASHI!! (ashamed for you) I hope the kids can see what their dad did and what their mom did .. I hope when the kids turn 20 they can decide.. Christopher i hope you dropped your japanese citizenship.. YOU ARE JAPANESE ...
bdiego
The only thing that protects her is she kidnapped them in America and went to Japan. If she had done both in Japan, it would have been kidnapping even under local laws because she gave up full custody first before taking them away.
bdiego
Haven for child kidnapping. If it makes him feel any better, Japanese fathers have dealt with this for a long time. Difference in this case is, she violated her explicit divorce settlement and is a wanted fugitive. It would be kidnapping even in Japan to give up custody and take the children away, even as the mom.
justodnjpn
Well, as a parent in a relationship with about 1mm of wick left, I can understand why this guy took the 'fam' to the States. I am terrified that as soon as we get divorced I will not be able to see my daughter at all. If it wasn't too late, I would do the same as far as moving the family to the States. At least there I would have a chance of seeing my daughter. The wife... ya she felt trapped, but at least she had the option to stay in the country where the joint custody was given and be part of the kids life. Flip it around... He does it here in Japan... She gets custody, he loses the right to a visa (only considering the end of marriage and the kids here) thus the right to stay in the same country as his kids.
bass4funk
I WAS in an almost similar situation as a child of divorced parents, and my situation was also crazy, so I DO understand exactly what the kids and what my parents went through, but that's beside the point. The court passed the judgement of joint custody, whether she felt trapped of not, she should have researched legal counsel and in the states, we have lawyers that speak almost every language, so I know for a fact she could have found a Japanese speaking lawyer, take her case to the next level and try to let the legal process play out. One thing we have an abundance of in the states are lawyers. You can't just panic and defy a court order otherwise, why have a legal system at all?
This is what I'm talking. You hit the nail in the head. The kids should have never been subjected to all that nonsense. As I said, I was in that kind of situation and it is the worst, terrifying, traumatizing thing that ANY child can go through. I love both of my parents dearly, but they were both selfish and thought about themselves first before thinking about me and my sisters and though I am married and have my own family, from time to time, I still get nightmares of those tragic events that we went through as kids.
tmarie
As usual Cleo is going off on this guy - same thing when this story broke.
Do I think Chris is a "wonderful" person? Certainly not but at the end of the day, his ex-wife AGREED to move to the US. Seems she knew what was coming and was "kind enough" ie (dumb enough) to use HIS cards, HIS money to get a lawyer. She had everything paid for, had the kids there and yet, not enough. So take the kids and run. All seems rather premeditated in my opinion. Full well knew the regardless of the divorce outcome she could run back to Japan and be safe. Which is EXACTLY why Japan needs to sign the treaty.
I feel for the kids more than anything. If what Chris said on here is true with regards to language and schooling his poor kids must be suffering with all the BS rules and lack of critical thinking int he school system here.
Think
GW
Wow, missed this one till now. These 2 people are both bad apples clearly.
While I dont condone savoie, its amazingly simple why he moved his family initially to the US to do the divorce, in Japan he wud have never seen his kids again until they were adults(maybe), in the US joint custody.
Noriko went, clearly she must have known divorce was coming, she agreed to the outcome & then abducted back to Japan.
I am glad the big $6.1million number is out there, clearly thats for two reasons, 1. to try to stop more adbuctions from the US 2. a hot across Japans bow telling to get their crap together & sign & implement the Hague Convention!
Now I wish this case wud just go away & just get Japan to do whats right so a lot of kids & parents can stay in each others lives.
Pretty simple really
sourpuss
Kevininhawaii, bass4funk,
that's very fine and nice to think about the kids. but from what i've read about the mother's situation in the US, she felt trapped. people make bad/drastic decisions when they're trapped, good for the kids or not.
put yourself in her shoes. you move with your foreign wife to her home country with your two kids and she promptly divorces you and sets up with her new BF. you know moved there trusting your wife, thinking that it was going to be a great move for your FAMILY. the court rules that you get joint custody, but you feel betrayed and .... TRAPPED.
one can't help but question the motives of Mr. Savoie before the move to the US.
Ken Watanabe
There are several metaphors that see best fit for an archaic, convoluted Japanese legal system-- modern day Dred Scott, +100 year dinosaur, Reverse Jim Crow, Kangaroo Court etc.
salarymanblues
I think the higher problem here is Japans justice system, or lack of it.
One wonders why there is a court at all, when the result is typically the same in every case. I forget the exact number, but there is the famous statistic of 99% (or whatever) of prosecutions being approved by the court. And this one, of almost all divorce cases ended up with the children in the mothers custody.
If the cause (justice system) gets fixed, then symptoms (e.g. this type of case) will follow.
iPhone4wht32gb
Whether the mother POISON "their kids" or not, she has a $6.1 price tag she gotta worry about. The bottom-line here is that the kids will suffer the most, unfortunately! And I agree with the other comments suggesting that JAPAN has got to do something about this international treaty about joint custody of such issues.
bass4funk
This is exactly my point! My overall concerns were generally for the kids. I have my own opinions about the parents, but the sad and the truth of the matter is, how do the children feel? What do they want and how is their emotional well-being?
Let's hope so. One can only pray. This would be a great thing for Japan in the long run. It would give many foreign parents a fighting chance, hope and perhaps, we can avoid, if not minimize the pain and suffering children have to go through when they have to go through a messy divorce
longterm
Regardless of the situation between Christopher Savoie and his ex-wife, I think this judgement is awesome. It will bring additional attention to the child custody issue and perhaps pressure Japan even more to address this problem and sign the international treaty once and for all.
willynilly
so far I believe I've seen this "pin up" comment only here in JT to which you responded he is not. Have you seen it elsewhere? You shouldn't let JT get up your nose as it is truly a small community.
KevininHawaii
None of you - I repeat - NONE OF YOU have ever met the people mentioned in this article. None of you know if they are/were nice to each other, or if one was 'abusive' to the other.
The FACT is that the mother has TAKEN the kids, and is denying the father ANY contact - that is cruel. Under the U.S. agreement, both patents had access to their kids. Under the current situation, only the mother gets to see her kids grow up...
What if he had the kids, and was denying access to the mother? Would you all still feel the same?
Who cares if he or she is imperfect? I think the most important people in this discussion are the kids. I doubt the kids care about their parents shortcomings. They most likely just want to see both their parents on a regular basis. Who are we to say otherwise?
cleo
Kaptanchigai - I think the Mod would deem my answer would 'not be permitted'. Suffice it to say that it really gets up my nose to see people setting him up as a pin-up boy for all the genuine left-behind parents. He's doing their cause no favours at all. That, and the sheer lunacy of the original US court ruling that took deepest darkest Tennessee to be the children's habitual residence and condemned Noriko to a life in limbo.
Now, mistreat an animal, and I'll show you really riled up. :-)
Kaptankichigai
cleo, i usually only see you this riled up when some pet has been mistreated. why are you so hell-bent against this guy?
bass4funk
I really hope so, I pray that the kids are at least adjusting properly because this is still a very difficult time for them, I am sure of that.
cleo
I don't. I said I had seen no reports of her doing so. How is that irresponsible? I have also seen no reports that he ever beat her black and blue, would it be irresponsible to assume that, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, marital violence was not an issue in the marriage?
I agree that the main concern should be the children. I shudder to think how they felt watching their Mum struggling to cope in a foreign land with no friends or family, no support, forced to watch daily while her ex built a new life that by its nature was gradually taking her children away from her....coping with him and his new missus calling her 'evil' and an 'idiot'. Hopefully now they're getting a bit of peace in which to rebuild their lives.
bass4funk
I agree, as well as for her too, she is in dire need for some very serious counseling. Because it is unfortunate that she has the kids. Because a logical responsible mother would try to work things out, so that both of them can come to some agreement as to what is in the best interest for the children and that might be that both parents aren't responsible enough, which means, the next of kin would have to step in, but this is Japan, so it would never be fair, just ugly....
My concerns first and foremost have always been with the kids, the kids are the innocent ones, they have no choice, they did not put themselves in this situation and no one is really elaborating as to how they must feel, because that is the most important part of this madness, take the children's feelings into consideration. Because for anyone that has never been through a nasty divorce (like me) they will never be able to understand the pain, the stress, the anxiety, the sadness that people like us went through. This is why I just want ANY parent that has children and are thinking about divorce, should always try to work things before taking that next step.
Moderator: Readers, please note that badmouthing of either party in this dispute will not be permitted.
taj
Or better yet, protect the tattered remains of her children's privacy. I know far more about these kids than I'd be comfortable having random strangers know about me! How are they going to feel at 15, when schoolmates can find this stuff on the net? (And if you've read the sources you will know some of what I refer to without having to repeat further.)
taj
I've got to agree. I've followed this closely, using first hand and court record sources as much as possible. I've seen no reports of the mother attempting to poinson the kids against their father. That is a pre-judgement on your part bass4funk.
Moderator: All readers, please do not badmouth either party in this issue. From here on, posts that do so will be removed.
cleo
?? Of course it didn't happen by accident. He made the decision to come to Japan, ambush Noriko and the kids on their way to school, and physically manhandle them away from her. The Japanese media have mentioned her being pushed to the ground, held down by one of Savoie's mates, the kids crying 'help', etc. None of it was an accident. He planned it. If he didn't plan it, and it all 'just happened' maybe he should have counselling and learn to control his impulses before he tries to take responsibility for a couple of young children.
I'm quite sure Noriko is not 'guiltless' - as others have also said, it takes two to tango. But I've seen no reports of her poisoning the kids against their father. Totally irresponsible of you to make unfounded allegations like that.
taj
horrified, the best source is the court records. filings by mediators. I don't have the links handy - it may take you some digging, but it is very eye-opening.
Basically, all media reports have been one-sided, as only one-side has been courting media attention.
bass4funk
No, they sure don't, but it has nothing to do with Noriko. If this woman is so truly innocent and has nothing to hide is not ashamed and has validity to her argument, why not make a blog, talk to the local station, anything to get her side of the story. Heck, I'd interview her if I could. Personally, after what Savoie went through in Japan with the police, I don't think he would jeopardize his chances and make his situation worse by doing that.
That is totally irresponsible for you to make that kind of statement. I have seen the actual court affidavit from the states. Noriko also is by no means a Saint! Being objective, I know there is more than meets the eye, but for you to insinuate that she is guiltless in all of this is astounding! The nastiness probably came from somewhere in between. Remember: it takes two to tango.
Again, I am sure this just didn't happen by accident, I know full well some people get easily agitated and will go off in a whim. So once again, we can't pre-judge. Everyone seems to forget the children, they have rights too. They should be asked what they want and with whom they really want to be with, amazing no one give a.... about what the kids want and how they feel. They are NOT possessions. If Noriko was a really good parent, she can hold a grudge against him if she wants to, no problem here, but to pass that one and to condition the kids to dislike their father is horrible. I know from my own experience how devastating this kind if situation be. My heart goes out to the kids, they are the innocent ones.
horrified
TroyMcClure - You are a class act (sarcasm intended.) By the way, does anyone have a link for balanced and neutral information regarding this case. All I can find is heavily biased.
TroyMcClure
I don't see any mention so far of the tax issues. When Savoie was claiming to be a Japanese citizen, was he paying US taxes? If he was not and then later told a US gov't official that he never intended to give up his US citizenship, then he could be looking at some tax problems, and I don't think there is a statute of limitations for fraud. The IRS should check it out. Isn't there a way to report somebody and then get a percentage of the unpaid tax? It would be a shame if somebody took advantage of that.
Nicky Washida
@japanabducts:
I agree with everything you ahve just posted and I think we are basically on the same page here! I particularly agree with what you say that, if the divorce ends amicably there is no problem, but if it doesn`t, then the Japanese legal system fails abysmally.
It seems to divvy up children like they are assets, with no consideration given to their emotional needs at all, and as you rightly say, full power is given to whoever abducts first INCLUDING control over whether the other parent ever sees theie children again. In cases where the other party is violent, fair enough. But I have heard of a case where the mother took the kids and ran because she discovered their blood types were incompatible!!!
sarahsuz25
That's pretty unfair to your parents. It's hard enough to find a partner with whom to share this life; if we had to take any and all potential issues that our hypothetical non-existant children might possibly have into account when choosing a mate, nobody would ever get married and have children. It's not like breeding dogs.
cleo
To try and protect the kids from the media machine, perhaps? They don't need the press and TV cameras following them to school and making their lives a circus. They do need someone looking out for them. Chris may have been sent packing back to America, but if I were Noriko I think I would be worried about him paying goons to come over and try to snatch the kids again.
Yes, and judging from his subsequent actions and attitude towards his ex, I'm willing to bet the 'something deep and nasty' came from him.
I've also suggested this. Savoie has already shown that he is not averse to a bit of violence to get his own way, so very closely supervised it would have to be.
bass4funk
Yes, true, but again, you seem to fail to understand how the Japanese system does squat for foreigners, especially when it comes to parental rights, as I have previously stated, BOTH parents are idiots and it just chaps my rear end when I hear ANYONE having sympathy for a woman that would purposely deny a father the right to see his children, whatever you say, he's a jerk, got it, but again why? There is something that happened that we, the public just don't know anything about. Something very deep and nasty and for him to to what he did and I am specifically talking about divorce, NOT the affair. Noriko has NO right to play judge and jury. Again, why hide? Why go underground, she's apparently the so called-innocent victim in Japan, is she not? But she's doing a Houdini. As I stated earlier, have "supervised visitation" ask the kids what they want and how they feel you have to take that into consideration. As long as Japan doesn't rectify these outdated laws, this kind of situation could happen again and it could spiral out of control where someone could eventually get hurt or killed.
Nicky Washida
imjdmyo:
I am terribly sorry for the identity issues that you are obviously suffering, but please don`t assume that all half-children and adults have to deal with the alienation and inability to claim an identity that you are suffering with, or that it is selfishness on the part of the parents for making it that way.
And yes, I have mixed-race-children, and yes, I am also mixed-race myself, and very proud of all of our heritage.
cleo
If he'd gotten his divorce in Japan, done everything he was supposed to do and still been denied access to his kids, I would agree with you. Instead he decided to up and off to America and use the US legal system to take the kids at the expense of ruining Noriko's life. As a Japanese citizen, the onus was on him to live in Japan where he could be close to his kids whose life was in Japan, not to hop off to another country, set up house with another woman and then start demanding his 'rights'. The reason he became a 'desperate man' was that he was not allowed to have his cake and eat it.
bass4funk
Which is also the reason why Savoie became in the end a desperate man, because the Japanese system ultimately failed him. I agree, he probably would have taken the easy way out of divorce, but knowing the Japanese system, knew that in doing so, that he would lose his kids and would never be allowed to see them. Japan is supposedly a first world nation, if so, then Japan should be that, NOT only for its convenience. Japan needs to be a team player. This is the responsibility for a first world nation, being fair, law-abiding, honest and not harboring fugitives.
Japanabducts
Miamum, Yes, you are correct that many divorces end amicably, and do not require a court. If both parents are in agreement, things in Japan can work well. HOWEVER, the problem arises when both parents do NOT agree, which happens in many divorces throughout the world. In Japan, there is NO RULE OF LAW to deal with the situation. Compliance with family law is voluntary and there is no mechanism to enforce the law. Therefore, the Japanese legal system affords ABSOLUTELY NO PROTECTION to allow left-behind parents to maintain contact with their children. Whoever abducts the child first wins custody, and any access to the child provided to the Left-Behind parent is completely left up to the abducting parent. Japanese Family Law is therefore an abysmal failure and fails to protect the rights of parents to maintain contact with their children and the rights of children to maintain contact with both of their parents. One parent can unilaterally decide out of spite or malice to completely wipe the other parent out of the children's lives entirely. That is the tragedy that needs to be fixed in Japan.
Unlike many foreign parents who are not aware of this problem with Japanese family law, Chris Savoie was familiar with Japan and knew this, so he did everything he could to obtain a divorce in Japan, where his rights to know and love his children would be protected. If the Japanese family law system was capable of protecting those rights, Chris would have been happy to obtain a divorce in Japan, but the fact is that his rights, and the rights of thousands of other parents, are not protected by the Japanese Family Law system.
imjdmyo
Parents are selfish when it comes to their desired "perfect" child. 100% or nothing! Parents will never under stand the alienation half children deal with for the rest of their lives. Never able to claim an identity like the rest of their friends and families. If you have not guessed it, yes I am half.
bass4funk
@Worried
So by your logic, it's ok for her to break a court order, now I know you are anti-American, I get it and I personally, don't think Savoie is poster boy of innocence, especially what he did to Noriko, it was very low, but having said all that, have you ever stepped outside the box and took a fair and balanced look at the situation instead of American vs. Japan? Who really cares what either of these idiot parents want?! What about the kids, no one is asking them how they feel. They are NOT possessions (which seems to happen a lot in Japan where women think the child is just theirs alone) they are living, breathing individuals that got caught up in a nasty divorce dispute. The kids have the right to see both parents and although the way Savoie did it was totally wrong, why did he do it like that? Why did he cheat? There is ALWAYS a reason behind a persons actions, always! I really doubt that he woke up one morning and thought about treating his wife like crap or having an affair behind her back, sorry, there must be a serious reason that this all fell apart between them. Now if Japan had originally was a part of the Hague, then this situation might never have happened, all the more reason for Japan to adopt this law. This was kidnapping pure and simple, if Noriko thinks she is in the right, then why is she avoiding the local media, the international media? Why doesn't she talk about her side of the story to the world and stand by her actions, I mean, she doesn't need to shun the media, right? She did the right thing, so no reason to avoid anyone. I actually live in the same city as Noriko, the woman just vanished from radar...amazing! My heart goes out to the kids that have crappy parents. Yes, Savoie does have the right to see his kids, I know he loves them, otherwise he would not have done what he did, but two wrongs don't make a right. As a child of divorced parents, I can tell you from my own experience that Noriko in the long run is really shooting herself in the foot and this will backfire on her. She thinks she is a good mother, but a real good, fair and loving mother wouldn't take this kind of action, if she has any hostilities towards him that is between her and him, but leave the kids out of it! If he were on a daily basis violent, drinker and over the top crazy, then yes, block him, but she violated the law, came back to Japan, she has custody, how about giving the dad supervised visitations, she can't even do that??? My relationship with my own mother is strained because I and my sister went through a similar situation. I just pray that at least the kids will be able to hold their dad again, life is too short and sometimes, we need to listen to our kids, that is real true love because they learn from us and if we teach them to hate, they will hate, if we teach them to love, they will be full of love and understanding.
OssanAmerica
What this article fails to mention is whether Plaintiff Savoie was awarded thus USD 6.1m by default. This is crucial because foreign courts will 99.9% of the time reject default judgements.
CapnSinbad
Japan is as Japan does, int'l laws be damned.
BurakuminDes
I'd actually argue that she is persecuting the children - by depriving them of their father. Kidnapping children is just not on in my books. In any case, this is a nightmare scenario, and, forgetting the parents, I really hope the kids manage to get through this somehow without too much scarring.
taj
He was able to visit them when he left them behind to begin with - when he moved to the US (and his mistress) without them.
Sadly for all concerned, he used violence in trying to take them back after his wife broke the court order saying she had to stay with the kids in Tennessee. Given that they've both shown disgregard for what is right, seemly, or proper when it comes to keeping the kids for themselves, I'd be extremely surprised to hear of either parent allowing the other one any visitation.
That said, instead of trying to sue the mother of his children into poverty, perhaps Mr. Savoie should be focused on mending fences, sending letters and pre-recorded messages to the kids (in case she doesn't trust what he'll suddenly tell them to do), continuing to support them financially (and paying back her father, if he still has outstanding debt there).
The kids will continue to get older. They'll soon be googling themselves. What will they see? Their loving father giving messages of hope and desire to see them again? or a dad who continues to persecute their mother? It's really his choice.
Zenny11
Cleo, points well made.
My son aged 10 knows that he is not "fully" japanese and shows an interest in the other side of his heritage. I teach him as much as I can but also teach him that he is both and that neither is better.
Right now he is worried about having to make a decision at the age of 20 about citizenship. Told him he is what he is in his heart, even if the paper/passport sez X or Y he can still live in either. Basically the passport means little and he can still change his citizenship later on.
In this case right now BOTH parents are using the kids as pawns and simply confusing them about who they are. Went through a similar phase after separation(within japan) from son and we been together now for 18mnths after his mothers death and the scars are still there and will be forever.
willynilly
Was he bragging? I must have missed that part.
SiouxChef
Then I find it all the more curious that you feel qualified to disparage the parent who didn't kidnap their children.
Zenny11
Agree with miamum.
Also in many mutually agreed divorces the father gets custody, know quiet a few cases myself. Majority of those the non-japanese father got custody.
Systems here is before a case goes to court, there is a time for marriage counselling and ward trying to get people to agree to a settlement out of court.Takes a few months on average.
Nicky Washida
Japanabducts - firstly you got that quote from a Tokyo divorce lawyer in the LA Times. Obviously he is not going to say the divorce system goes smoothly here, is he really? He would be out of a job.
Roughly 80% of divorces in Japan happen OUTSIDE the courts, and the parents between themselves come to an arrangement. Those that go through the courts are the ones that become acrimonious because under this system, blame has to be assigned to one party - this is where the difficulties start.
The majority of divorces in Japan do not have these issues attached to them, only the ones that do make it into the news. To say that all divorces in Japan result in one parent being cut off from the children is untrue and unfair.
cleo
Yes.
I saw to it (with the help and support of their father) that the kids did have (do have) a well-balanced J-E identity. While they consider themselves to be Japanese (it's what it says on their passport) they are able to function in either society and see their Englishness as nothing but a plus. That's a very far cry from Chris Savoie's bragging that his kids, after spending the greater part of their lives in Japan, are essentially non-functional in the Japanese language, and his failure to address the concerns of their mother regarding their identity as she struggled to cope in a foreign land with no support.
('great roads'...?)
SiouxChief - My opinions are based on what has been available in the media, and Savoie's own statements.
BurakuminDes
I feel really sorry for Mr. Savoie. His ex-wife is treating those kids so poorly in depriving them of access to their father. She must be really bitter and unhappy in her life, and seems really selfish. Perhaps Japanese law - and society at large - needs to recognise that fathers are important in the upbringing of their children.
spiddygy
I think it is wrong to prevent the kids seeing their Dad/Mum. It's a selfish act and the government should intervene.The Japanese society is one sided and thinks narrowly whenever it comes to this issue and they always give the excuse of "protecting Japanese women from abusive husbands". Women are also abusive, and shouldn't be treated as the holy ones.
OneForAll
Cleo - your children are Japanese and/or English? What would have happened if you wanted more of an English identity for your children? I do think that things worked out well for you and you are happy in Japan. I myself tried Japanese schools for my children and they were not a good match. My children are culturally American and we are now in California and they are doing extremely well: wrestling, swimteam, AP Euro, choir, band, prom, great roads, multicultural people, Japanese is taught as well, etc... just a perfect spot for them. I do like Japan very much but it just did not work out. We will return for vacations. As for Mr. and Mrs. Savoie and children, the father should be able to see the children for the children. It is spiteful otherwise and really all Mrs. Savoie needs to do is allow him to visit. It is in the children's interest to allow this visitation. What a mess really is divorce.
Ken Watanabe
I don't disagree. That's why I'm suspecting they had an irreconcilable issue over parenting. What is missing--and probably will never come out--from the context is Chris' role in parenting and any related family issues. It's very critical because his life choices and decisions are definitely the sources of cultural/gender hegemony that produces the discourse of whiteness. It’s quite menacing—psychologically tormenting her and depriving her of cultural space. There’s no doubt about that.
I personally want to sympathize her with the exception that she made a fatal mistake in her choice--(leaving her names on court documents in an attempt to get out of a bad situation, or failing to make an appropriate procedure for addressing her specific concern over the court ruling)
SiouxChef
Again, you act as though you are privy to some kind of information not found in the press.
Based on what has been reported, it seems to me that the "duplicitous, self-centered, law-breaking bonehead" would be the one who perjured herself to get the passports and now has a felony warrant for her arrest on two counts of kidnapping.
horrified
taj:
Well said. The actions of both parents from now on will show their true colours. They should be willing to move for the benefit of their children. If not, it's all selfishness.
cleo
Weird? I don't think so. Like anyone in a so-called 'international' marriage with kids, there is an element of 'there but for the grace of...' I have been extremely lucky in that the man I married is not a duplicitous, controlling self-centred law-breaking bone-head. I have been able to raise my kids as I saw fit, in an environment of my own choosing (within economic confines, naturally), and I feel for Noriko who has not had my good luck. Granted she may have brought some of her troubles on herself - why on earth she agreed to even go to Tennessee, never mind stay there, beats me - but I can certainly sympathise with her, and in a similar situation I think I would have acted similarly (not agreeing to the ludicrous US court ruling, but getting the kids and herself out of a very bad situation).
taj
The girl was born in Japan to Japanese parents.
Sioux, Cleo presumably read all the publicly available court documents back in 2009 when this case first hit the news.
At that time, I was like most people who know someone who lost a child to the Japanese legal system - completely sympathetic to the foreign parent. But then I read the court documents. And watched the new wife giving interviews. Heard from people who previously worked with this man.
I strongly believe that children's rights to know both parents trump any rights the parents may claim. Well being of the children also trumps any rights of parents.
That said, I cannot support this particular foreign parent. He has repeatedly shown himself to be duplicitous, controlling, and self-centred. He is not a good case to be brought to the public attention. Unfortunately, he thrives on attention.
SiouxChef
Cleo,
It's very weird how you seem to believe you're somehow closely involved in this matter, in a position to judge, and not just someone on the internet reading the news.
They are undeniably just that.
What he said was "Noriko had hired her U.S. attorneys before she even got on a plane to come to the U.S. and we have solid evidence to prove it, including invoices (Yes, I paid for Noriko's lawyer with my credit card)"
He "paid for it" because his credit card was used when she "hired her U.S. attorneys" and the idea that her divorce lawyer would be in her husband's pocket because his credit card was used is laughable.
People who try to rationalize kidnapping are the reason for the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction. Now Japan needs to get onboard.
Ken Watanabe
I guess there would be some kind of close-door talks between the US (the Department of State, and/or the Department of Homeland Security, and/or the Department of Justice) and Japan (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and/or the Ministry of Justice) for a plea bargain regarding the case. The problem is that she left her footprints in the legal documentation kept at the state court. That's quite a different situation from leaving her ex while they were still in marriage. Noriko wouldn't be in a hot water if she filed a lawsuit in Japan to keep her ex at bay indefinitely. Most Japanese parents would likely take their kids away from foreign husbands or spouses without any legal documentation. That makes them much easier to walk away from a country they don't want to stay. But, anyway, let's see what happens.
himehentai
Amerijap - lets not kid ourselves though. Many other countries do this, but just not to average people. Look at the immunity diplomats or monarchs get for example, if they commit a crime and then flee back to their own country.
Also If Christopher Savoie had got his children back to America from Japan (as his plan had intended) he would have been doing EXACTLY the same thing as Noriko did. As Japan has not signed the hague convention America would harbouring these children. And also he would have been legally immune.
Ken Watanabe
Yeah, thanks to a country that harbors an individual who made a bad move and terrible mistake that cost her legal immunity under the name of protection.
T_rexmaxytime
ok..... if you want something... you can go about being nice or you can be an aAhole and create bad karma.
Ken Watanabe
He didn't force her to do that, at least. It was all up to her whether she should give up her life in Japan or settle the marital problem while they were in Japan or in the US. She could have said 'no' to Chris regarding the place to finalize the documentation for a divorce. She didn't need bother to ask him a favor to pay through the nose to hire one of the top attorneys in the US for her. She could have won the case easily-- if her attorney had claimed the jurisdiction which is compliant with Japanese Family Law to defend her right to deny Chris' visitation rights to the children.
The fact of the matter is that Noriko was too naive to grasp the situation surrounding her. It was obvious that she had an issue with Chris over his domineering role in family matters--possibly parenting and education-- and that's why she got so annoyed when she saw him and his new wife taking her kids to hang out with their friends and extended family. If Chris’ approach to the kids was her prime concern, she could have refused to go to the US with her kids, and demanded him Chris to come to Japan to file for divorce, instead. If she needed financial support for child support and education, she could have her ex wire-transfer money from Tennessee to Fukuoka City. She didn't take that option, either. The deal was done in the US--not in Japan. If you don't want to see your ex for the rest of your life, forget it. You can't both have a cake and eat it, too. Period.
cleo
Exactly. So why should the history of these kids' parents' failed marriage expose them to particular discrimination for which they would specifically blame their mother?
Funny how Savoie is quick to point out that the kids were not born in Japan and so were not 'completely Japanese' (very Japanese concept, that) yet he's strangely silent about his own Japanese nationality; but if he was adhering to the law that he claims to have on his side, he lost his American nationality when he took out Japanese nationality and so should have followed Japanese law.
No he didn't. We know why he went (cos he wanted to, cos that's where Amy was).. and if he paid for Noriko's lawyer as he claims it puts one in mind of the proverb The man who pays the piper....
Looking back at Savoie's post, he makes a big deal about the children not reading/writing Japanese, about their being more comfortable speaking English than Japanese, as though that would be all the more reason for them to stay in America. (How many kanji does he imagine the average Japanese 8-year-old can read and write? As for a 6-year-old....doing well if they can write the hiragana and their name. Not much catching up to be done there.) It makes it all the more understandable to me why Noriko would be worried about them losing their Japanese identity and be desperate to do something about it. It's a pity he couldn't appreciate that. Or maybe he did and just didn't care because he had what he wanted and Noriko's concerns could go hang. All he had to do was persuade the courts not to let her have the kids' passports and he could ignore her complaints. Stuck in a foreign country with no job, no means of support apart from the divorce settlement that he complained about and obviously resented having to pay, watching her kids grow further and further away from her with her ex's new missus highly visible and playing Mom to her kids, while he stuck his fingers in his ears secure in the knowledge that the lawyer he'd paid for had wrapped things up for him just fine.....What could she possibly have to complain about?
hamiltontruther
"What makes you think they will face any discrimination?" Strange comment. Discrimination exists in every society. England is rife with it. Japan is not any different than any other country. Japan shall not be overlooked in this case.
cleo's response to another comment: "No they weren't. Their mother took them back to their native land, the land where they had spent most of their lives.
Chris Savoie's comment earlier on this thread: "Isaac was not "born and raised in Japan". He was born in Palo Alto CA at Stanford Hospital. He had attended schools in the UK, U.S. and Japan but NEVER attended a school where Japanese was the primary language of instruction, so saying they are completely Japanese is a flat out lie and is misleading. He scored in the 98th percentile in standardized English tests in the U.S. But he couldn't read and write kanji at his grade level in Japan for obvious reasons."
It is not up to anyone to decide where the children may think they are from. I know Japanese people who live where they live now but their family origins are from another area so therefore they say they are from wherever their family roots originate. The children were in fact born in California. I know Japanese kids who spent a portion of their lives in other countries only to come back to feel foreign. Some never seem to fit in and end up in international schools or heaven forbid the British school in Japan.
You also say: " These kids are not 'abducted Americans in Japan'. They are half-Japanese, half American kids raised in Japan...."
You should also be so easily willing to confront a Japanese person in the same tone who may say that these children are Japanese to remind them that these children are American and also Japanese. I have come across that a number of times in relation to Canadian children who have been abducted by their Japanese parent. When trying to rationally and logically discuss this issue with a Japanese person, the Japanese person almost always says that the child is Japanese only. I can only feel sorrowful for the selfish state of mind of the average Japanese person and others who may have the same line of thinking.
The tone of "dragged" is not fitting to what actually happened.
Chris Savoie told you how and why they went to Tennessee. Refer to his comment as stated earlier on this thread. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think you don't know the day to day lives of these people and that you were not there as these events unfolded. I have now lived next to the same people for years and unfortunately I don't know them well at all.
However, I do agree with you on the homicide thing. That was a bit overdone or was it? People should not discount the happenings in Japan, yet it does diminish the chances a little bit since they do not live in the U.K. anymore so in a sense you may be somewhat right.
cleo
No they weren't. Their mother took them back to their native land, the land where they had spent most of their lives.
What makes you think they will face any discrimination?
These kids are not 'abducted Americans in Japan'. They are half-Japanese, half-American kids raised in Japan who for a short time were dragged to rural Tennessee because that's what suited their American Dad and his new missis, and never mind the strain it put their Mum under.
What the....? If they grow up in Japanese society, that hardly seems likely.
Kabukilover
You may very well be right, maxbianco. The following scenario is possible. They will grow up to realize that they were abducted from their native land and deprived of having a father they could see by a mother who is a wanted criminal outside Japan. Whatever discrimination from Japnese they face they will blame on her. One day they will leave her, whether they claim American citizenship or not, and cut her off.
It is a statistical probability that X number of abducted Americans in Japan will grow up angry with their abducters. Where will this lead? Do not discount homicide, though I hope it never happens.
WilliB
...and now try to collect the money. It will keep him busy for a lifetime, during which he still won´t see his kid.
maxbianco
They wont be children forever. when they are older, ,they will consider the situation on their own, seek out thier father, and end up hating their mother. what goes around comes around. in every place, in every time.... Karma works the same.
Zenny11
worried.
You can make as many ad-homimem as you like, those don't add to your arguments quiet the opposite actually.
As posters have said they had divorces and their experiences proof you wrong. Like it or not.
worried
What I see here is a group of privleged men, who expect never to be challenged nor denied, and when they are, they get quite upset. You tolerate women who do not dare stand up to you, but of course, you would never treat a woman who dared stand up to you, with any amount of respect.
Noriko was never going to be popular amongst the male gang here. She stood up for herself, and got herself and her children to safety. She won. Complain about it all you like, this man will never get to see those children again, and very glad that Noriko got herself free from the situation.
You called me blasphemous, Netninja, I guess you and I have a very different belief system.
lucabrasi
Right on the head of the nail, Patrick. Well said.
NetNinja
@worried
"Does anyone think for one second about the psychological and emotional pain just seeing this man, and having him near her children, that this would cause her? Does she matter at all?"
I think you have some serious issues. None the less I still have to correct you. (It's good you keep practicing how to give opinions. Now if you could just learn how to balance your argument) It's obvious you skip the high level lessons at your Eikaiwa...worried.
You said "her children", when in fact it should be THEIR children. You also mentioned about the emotional and mental pain she has to endure just seeing him. Lets try EACH OTHER. You see Worried....you're an EXTREMIST...haha....you are unable to balance things out in your argument. Both genders will use facts and figures to make an argument at the other. They are both despicable and they are both victims.
Worried you receive a lot of objection because if we don't you'd dominate this blog with your blasphemy. Try being more objective.
Zenny11
netninja.
And I agree we need to approach marriage, child-raising and even divorce as equals. Been there, done that and got the T-shirt and associated pains.
Final words if the divorcing parties can work things out between them as adults and responsible parents than laws, etc have no meaning and don't apply.
Said to say in many divorces it becomes a power struggle with the kids being used as pawns.
NetNinja
@worried Well it seems you're not anti abuse of men as you did not mention it. I've seen some people use the word despicable here and there. Ladies and Gentlemen, divorce is never pretty. Each of here based on our gender is bias. I'll call you bias and you'll call me bias.
I think what this case COULD POSSIBLY represent is a denial of human rights...in regards to parenthood. You need a pause and a timeout here. We cannot bring culture into this cause that in itself is bias. We want to draw lines on the map but that also leads us into the abyss of prejudice and discrimination.
You gotta take away all the details of he said, she said, he did, and she did. Get right down to the bone IF WE AS HUMAN BEINGS can do that and say Hey, what would human rights be like if we were ALL WHITE, ALL BLACK, ALL JAPANESE or ALL WHATEVER.....I believe what you would find is that a child has the right to both parents. Both parents which is required through GOD's (Whichever you choose)great design.
Ladies when you can impregnate yourselves without our donation then YEAH the child is yours. Divorce should be the most expensive and drawn out case to determine who gets the child. Terms must be defined clearly.
I know as soon as I'm done with this we'll go back to stacking all our ideas on top of this but I feel we must agree, ignoring GENDER, RACE, and BACKGROUND, on a fair set of laws regarding International Marriages and children. The domino effect must be carried through to everything. The child's citizenship and so on.
We've got to stop looking at gender. Men and Women, are meant to be equal. Not one above the other. Assumptions should not be made, that's prejudice. Consider them both innocent or consider them both monsters. It's complicated I know but I just feel you gotta get rid of all those layers. He's the father, it's his right to have access to the children. I think the courts should make decisions that hold both parties accountable.
*I got a headache.
horrified
@yasukuni - That's right. The moral of the story is: don't anger the wife of your children (in Japan.)
And I have to say once again, if Christopher is truly thinking of his children and the relationship he has with them, then the only answer is for him to move back to Japan. All of this legal posturing will bring no conclusion for raising his kids.
His decision to move back or not will reveal his true motivations in this matter.
yasukuni
If only parents tried to see things through the eyes of their kids. One thing I will never do is criticize or attack the mother of my children.
worried
Whatever I may think of the way Noriko has been treated in all of this, she is an adult. The children however, are totally innocent and the insinuation that anyone would find their situation in any way amusing is reprehensible.
Im not anti-man, Im anti the abuse of women and children perpetuated by the courts, encouraged and facilitated by the men`s rights action groups, and perpretrated by men upon women and children.
Japanabducts
Miamum, Here are a few quotes for you:
"Typical is the statement of a Tokyo divorce lawyer that: "It's the Japanese general understanding that if they divorce, the noncustodial parent won't be able to see the kid again. It's as if the child loses a parent in an accident, as if that parent just dies." (Los Angeles Times, Oct. 2, 2001).
"A charitable view of the Japanese system of divorce is that it favors a "clean break" so that the divorced parties have little or nothing more to do with each other after the divorce. A less generous interpretation is that it permits the spouse with economic assets (usually the husband) to keep most of his assets, avoid payment of alimony and provide little or no child support, but the price he pays is the abandonment of any relationship with his children, while the other spouse is punished economically, but keeps her children. A "clean break" in the form that it is manifested in Japan can be extremely injurious." Jeremy Morely, International Divorce Lawyer.
smithinjapan
YuriOtani: "...American courts are not fair to Japanese people..."
Japanese courts aren't fair to anyone.
Nicky Washida
Sorry but I just have to correct you there, that is NOT the typical Japanese way that divorce goes - the vast majority of divorces here result in both some level of financial support AND regular contact with the non-custodial parent. But we don`t ever hear about those situations, because they are not as interesting as the sensational child-napping ones.
nigelboy
If I'm not mistaken, the alimony and the child support were terminated in August. Secondly, the lump sum estate which Noriko was awarded was orderd by the Judge to not be liquidated as a reason for releasing their passports as well as serving as a "motivator" to stay in the county.
himehentai
Christopher ... I don't think I was one of the people you were referring to in your above entry (who laugh at you etc) but ... wow. I think you are a fairly intelligent guy. You must have known that when this story regarding the $6M hit the Japanese press, this would have been dragged back into the limelight? And generally the people who use Japantoday have been using the names and commenting on stories from long before your family situation went downhill. I don't think any of us are here JUST to bash you ...
That little outburst from you really makes you look kind of immature. Sorry.
I can imagine that all this debate about your life hits a raw nerve, but I think it is better for you to just respond with silence and dignity, except of your own blog where you can display your own thoughts and answer peoples criticisms. Try to ignore what people say about you, although I can imagine its hard.
nigelboy
So you're telling me that Noriko abandoned everything in Japan to take her kids half way across the world so they could initiate a divorce proceeding even though she and her kids didn't have to be there? Please.
"Jurisdiction" is already established ever since Chris fulfilled his minimum residency (6 months) in Williamson County. The guy could of just filed for divorce in TN like he did with this frivolous lawsuit and would have gotten a default judgment.
“The spouse filing for the divorce must be a resident of the state at the time the grounds for divorce took place. If the grounds took place outside the state of Tennessee, one of the spouses must be a resident for 6 months prior to filing. The divorce shall be filed in the county in which both spouses reside if they are both residents; or the county in which the respondent resides if he or she is a resident; or the county in which the petitioner resides. (Tennessee Code – Volume 6A, Title 36, Sections 36-4-104 and 36-4-105)”
Face it. Chris needed Noriko and the kids to reside in TN so that he could control them using the TN courts by petitioning TRO (which he did).
Ken Watanabe
Although I'm not a fan of Chris, I don't have any problem putting him in the list of American fathers fighting for a despicable crime of stealing children and any related social injustices revolving around the Japanese legal system. Yes, JP legal system is damning on non-Japanese citizens pretty bad, giving them a lot of BS.
I'm glad that the man (I believe it's him) provided a couple of important sources right here on this thread. It's easy for the suckers to impugn the man for misleading his ex while shackling up his new girlfriend. However, as CJS made it very clearly, they already reached to the point where their relationship was completely irrevocable while in Japan, and it was quite unlikely they were able to sit down and talk all over again. It was his ex-wife who chose the US over Japan regarding the jurisdiction. And, regrettably, it was Noriko who took advantage of permission for temporary vacation in a way to mislead the court judge by fleeing the US with two kids. That's no excuse for violating a state court order.
ca1ic0cat
As is usually the case in human relations, but almost always in divorce, there is plenty of blame to go around....
Japanabducts
To Truestory, Sorry, but you are wrong, wrong and wrong. Christopher was the one who truly thought of the kids first. He knew that the US family law system is governed by the rule of law and the Japanese system is not. He knew his only hope of protecting his children's right to know and love BOTH parents was to obtain a divorce in the United States. Sure, he could have done the typical Japanese thing and filed for divorce in Japan, deserted his children and kept his money. But instead, he put his children first. He knew that in the US system his children’s rights to know and love both parents would be protected, but he also knew he would have to pay a sizeable amount of his money to Noriko. He gladly did this, giving her $700,000, while ensuring that his children’s rights to know and love both parents were protected. Noriko happily and greedily came to the United States to collect her $700,000 and then flagrantly violated US law and kidnapped the children to Japan, in the end taking both the children AND the money. Finally, today, some small amount of justice was served.
WTSherman1864
I am on your side, CJS! Just don't expect a high level of dialogue on this thread. There are exceptional comments at times but these are not the rule. Personally, I wish you the best (and not to expect that here!).
Ken Watanabe
Um, actually she could have lived anywhere in the US or Canada if she didn't feel comfortable by getting bothered with the shadows of Chris and his new wife. Still, she would need to file the documents to the state court for that, though.
Truestory
Shame on you, selfish Christopher Savoie! Don't think about just yourself, don't be me, me, me! Think the benefit for the children. They've never lived in Tennessee. They don't want to be raised by your new wife who helped to set up the trap to bring your ex-wife to the states to file the divorce paper. That forced Noriko to live in Tennessee.
In 2009, the children screamed "Help!" when you were forcing them into a car. Do you remember that?
<<<<There are many poor helpless wives abused by this kind of man and victims by DV have to return their kids to husbands because of the international treaty.>>>>
Ken Watanabe
Ditto to Japanese court system which is utterly damning on non-Japanese including Americans--and even Japanese husbands (!)--regarding the child custody case. The JP family law is just like the US Constitutions in the 19th century. There's no such word as 'fairness doctrine.' "You have no rights to claim your kids for custody because you're NOT a Japanese citizen." "You will be detained for the right to meet your own kids." It's just so terrible as Dredd Scott case and Plessy v. Ferguson. If Japan is still hesitant to sign the treaty now, that's fine. But, without revising Japanese family law and registration system, there's no door open for the people dealing with the issue.
kittyjump
All of these comments are kind of funny. Taking the side of one parent or another. Any kind of situation like this is going to have complications and feelings impossible to be expressed in a legal court, and impossible to be resolved there. Never mind known or understood by third party (us). Japanabducts (above) calling the father "law-abiding" and therefore the correct parent for the kids to be with for some reason, shows our simplistic and short-sighted thinking in the modern world. Obviously, law-abiding has nothing to do with anything. He might be the better parent for the kids, he might not, is all I can say. I just hope the kids can grow through their parents problems into strong adults, not battered and broken by adults' idiocy.
YuriOtani
American courts are not fair to Japanese people, comes out to about 500 million yen for damages. So all the American courts need to do is make silly awards like this to force the Japanese parent in compliance. This is why Japan should never sign that treaty. bye the bye He is not going to see a yen of that one sided ruling.
cjsavoie
Hey guys, say what you want behind your little aliases because you don't have the guts to use your real names. I am getting a kick out of it, actually. But at least get the facts straight on a couple of important details.
Isaac was not "born and raised in Japan". He was born in Palo Alto CA at Stanford Hospital. He had attended schools in the UK, U.S. and Japan but NEVER attended a school where Japanese was the primary language of instruction, so saying they are completely Japanese is a flat out lie and is misleading. He scored in the 98th percentile in standardized English tests in the U.S. But he couldn't read and write kanji at his grade level in Japan for obvious reasons. And Rebecca had absolutely NO reading and writing ability in Japanese to speak of when she was abducted and forced into a Japanese public school. She went to F.I.S. and spoke English exclusively with her friends at school. Rebecca's Japanese was not as native as her English, to be quite honest and she used katakana gairaigo English words often because she was more comfortable with English. I even have some recordings. Maybe I'll post them to my blog so you can denigrate and make fun of my daughter as well as her father. Many of you seem like people who would like that opportunity. And you are protected by anonymity, so no consequences or accountability required!
Noriko had hired her U.S. attorneys before she even got on a plane to come to the U.S. and we have solid evidence to prove it, including invoices (Yes, I paid for Noriko's lawyer with my credit card) and testimony from the judge himself. I'll post some of that on my blog for those of you regular Savoie bashing addicts who also voyeuristically read my blog posts. Even Noriko has not herself ever claimed she was trapped. It's all Monday morning quarterbacking. Her divorce lawyer is pretty fearsome around here. She was president of the divorce lawyers association of ALL of the USA. She could have easily argued for Japanese jurisdiction and maybe could have won. She is that good. She got Noriko the passports, didn't she? But that jurisdiction issue never even came up! Not once until after the abduction. Under Noriko's own volition, she voluntarily waived any jurisdiction issue because she knew a U.S. divorce would benefit her more than a Japanese one. So she was forum shopping as well. I didn't force her. Her lawyer didn't force her. The judge didn't force her. Nobody did. It was a COMPLETELY voluntary contract.So, have a wonderful day blogging anonymously about little old me armed with some actual facts from someone who was actually there. Hope it makes your day/night oh so much more happy feeding off my misery and gives y'all respite from your own life problems. I am glad and honored that my misery can bring some joy to your lives, by venting it on me, even if just for a little while. Enjoy.
Blessings, CJS
Japanabducts
Complete justice would be for the children to be returned to their lawful and law-abiding parent, Chris, but at least he has some consolation.
Additionally, this sets great precedent for all those who have their children currently abducted. This once again puts Japan in the spotlight as an outlaw country that flagrantly thumbs their nose at international norms and international law. Suing Noriko was a great tactic by Chris, because if he now goes to Japan to try to enforce this, and Japan refuses, then it will receive press converage and demonstrate once again what an outlaw country Japan is in regard to family law.
"I think the first duty of society is justice." Alexander Hamilton
Society did its duty today and provided some justice to Chris.
horrified
That is pretty low, to be sure.I think he should move back to Japan and live in the same neighborhood of his ex-wife if he really is serious about wanting to be a part of his kid's lives. If he's really serious about his relationship with them.
nigelboy
Him, shacking up with another woman while at the same time sponsoring his wife for residency in U.S. only to have him serve divorce papers after a day of her arrival is despicable.
himehentai
Pointofview - Lets not forget though that Japans failure to sign the Hague convention works both ways.
If he had successfully got the kids out of the country (Japan) and into the US there would have been no way those kids would have ever been re-united with their mother either, until they were legal adults who would have been able to search for her themselves.
She was bad for taking them from the US in the first place, but these kids are legally Japanese citizens. It would have been equally wrong to abduct them from Japan, had he succeeded.
The welfare of the kids, and them being able to see, know and spend time with both parents should come above who has stronger legal rights to them - at the end of the day, them being without one parent for the rest of their lives is going to have a negative effect on those kids. Which is the saddest part.
Those kids are the only ones who are innocent in this story.
pointofview
The whole story about her going to the US is irrelevant. She took the kids away and left the father in the dump by denying him access. Facts are facts. Him meeting another women has nothing to do with anything. Regarding him trying to take the kids back last year in Japan, well he had no choice. Sometimes people can only take so much nonsense from the corrupt authorities till they take things into their own hands. The Tennessee ruling was completely fair as it allowed both parents to spend time with the kids. This case is about access and quality time not affairs, marital problems, or divorce.
nigelboy
She was served with the divorce papers filed by Chris a day after she and her kids arrived to TN.
cleo
Fadamor, where do you get the idea that she 'filed for citizenship for the kids'? They were born in Japan to Japanese parents, so they automatically had Japanese citizenship, from birth. Also she did not 'decide to get a divorce'; she arrived in America and was presented with divorce papers by Chris who had already arranged to marry Mrs Savoie version 2.
Fadamor
I have to chuckle at the choice of words here. "He "fled" from Japan." From what? Who was chasing him? "He took his wife to America against her will." Oh really? Did he hog-tie her and throw her in some luggage before flying to America? I know! He was going to America so he OBVIOUSLY held a gun to her head! At what point could she have called the police and said she was being forced to leave Japan? How about, "Any time right up to the point the plane took off." Yet nothing of the sort happened.
Once in America, she decided at some point to get a divorce. As part of the divorce agreement SHE helped put together and SHE signed, she agreed to remain in America until the kids grew up. ALSO as part of the agreement, she was authorized by the father and the courts to take the kids to Japan for six weeks every year. During the remainder of the year she was to share custody with the father. It was on one of those six-week visits that she filed for citizenship for the kids and registered them in school, then came back to America with the kids and cleaned up some details before packing them up and departing for Japan for good.
This was cold, calculated, and disrespectful of the father's feelings. Perhaps she, like many of the "experts" here on JT, find it impossible to believe that a man could actually love his children as much as a woman could. If so, then I'll add another "c"-word to describe her. Clueless.
JakeW
My wife abducted my two sons from Australia in 2009. Since then there has not been a thing I can do. If you are a foreigner you do not stand a chance against a legal system that is simply racist. Japanese courts habitually award children to their Japanese parents, visitation is always denied and if anything were to happen to my ex, my sons would be awarded to her mother. If she were to re-marry, her new husband could legally adopt my sons and once she gains custody, my name is removed from the koseki. What a disgusting system.
himehentai
cleo - I agree with you in the most part. Although .. Im not so sure If I agree that they "shouldn't have to see him if they don't want to..." Kids at this age (I believe they are still both pretty young) are very, very impressionable.
It would be easy for any mother living as a single mother (in any country in the world, not just Japan) to plant the seeds of negativity against the parent who is not there. I have seen it done many times, sometimes inadvertently. Sadly it often succeeds. (Of course though, Im not implying that all single mothers do this against their ex husbands.)
As a mother myself I can totally understand this mothers fear about her children being taken away from her. BUT I think it is every child's right to know both their parents. I believe in the UK after age 10 they are asked who they wish to live with, but it is still presumed they will have access and the chance to know both. Correct me If Im wrong.
I agree with the general consensus that both parties did wrong here. However I kind of feel that by taking her children so far away, this woman has stripped these children of the chance to know their dad. At the end of the day, that is the bigger crime. And sadly, when her kids grow up and find out what she did, and how hard their father fought for access to them, she is going to be the "bad" one in their eyes.
By taking these kids so far away from their Dad, she is also stopping them from seeing first hand his humanity - how irritating it is when he leaves his socks lying on the floor, or watches TV and drinks beer and picks his nose and ignores them or embarrases them in front of their friends.
In their eyes, he will always be this ideal father who "tried so hard" to get them back. Until they are adults and can actually make contact, he is going to be this "daddy idol." In that, I feel bad for the mum.
ThonTaddeo
Both Chris and Noriko should be required to live in the same city, within walking distance of one another, so that their kids can attend school normally and enjoy the presence of both parents without the two parents actually having to live together.
One of the most overlooked disadvantages heaped upon children of divorce is all the time wasted needlessly traveling between the two homes of their parents. If parents can't get along with each other, they should still have the obligation to live near each other so that the kids' lives aren't disrupted.
Chris took advantage of a legal loophole (having the divorce in his "home" court) but Noriko violated the court ruling outright. There's no reason why their kids should be forced to live with their scofflaw mother any more than their forum-shopping father. Make them both live near their kids. Different floors of the same house, if need be, with only the kids switching floors. And since the kids lived mainly in Japan until now, Chris should return to Japan to raise them.
(Is Noriko still using Chris's surname? If not, why is her name such a closely-guarded secret?)
willynilly
Ouch!
Laguna
Worried, you're letting your anti-male prejudice show. Divorces are complicated matters, and precisely for this reason, legal issues require careful attention. I will say this again: if Noriko had followed proper procedure in the States - even in Kentucky - she would likely have achieved a settlement acceptable to both parties. Instead, she in effect took the law into her own hands. Some may see that as heroic; I see it as an act of folly bordering cowardice. How will she rectify the situation now? She has become, in effect, a prisoner in her own country.
I am in no way defending the actions of the husband, nor am I depicting the US court system as infallible. I am strongly suggesting to future Japanese women in this situation that they allow the legal process to follow its course. Ironically, Japanese participation in the Hague Convention, however nominal, would help future Norikos as it would remove the argument that a Japanese mother could abscond with children to Japan without recourse.
combinibento
As I see it, the problem is that this Savoie dude could have just as easily been a Gandhi or an MLK, and the result would still be the same. He will never see his kids again. There are plenty of good guys/fathers out there that will never see justice, much less their children. Let this man not distract us from the issues here with the disaster that is Japan's child custody laws.
Nicky Washida
Is anyone else actually finding the number pretty funny? I mean, it is not as if Noriko actually has that kind of money anyway, or the courts have the means to enforce it. Its like that scene in Austin Powers where Dr Evil asks for a gajillion, bajillion, hazillion dollars!
Serrano
I agree with smithinjapan, he won't get a dime, he'll never convince a Japanese court to order his ex to pay the money.
presto345
I agree with cleo. This Savoie is a creep and awarding him over 6 million is way over the top, totally out of proportion. But that's US litigation for you. The obsession with bringing law suits for just about anything that displeases you.
Reclaim? Looks like abduction to me.
smithinjapan
"Christopher Savoie, 40, of Tennessee will, however, have to file a lawsuit with a Japanese court if he is to collect the damages from his former wife who is now living in Japan."
Good luck with that!
tokyokawasaki
Whatever happens. I am sure the powers that be in Japan will dig their heels in even further now. Savoie's great, great grandchildren just might live long enough to see the day when the Japanese custody laws change to become civilized and fair...
worried
Believe me I know how easily marriages breakdown. As Zenny said, and he and I rarely agree on anything, mutually agreed divorces, with both sides showing a bit of respect and concern for the children can and do work out quite well. That ship sailed for this man when he duped Noriko into going to the US, and then filed for divorce in a country that was not those children`s habitual residence, while setting up home with his mistress.
Im all for reasonable divorces, but when the man is being vindictive, and unreasonable himself, the only responsibility the woman has is to her children and her own future safety and happiness.
Im all for men`s rights groups taking this man on as their poster boy, it just highlights how unreasonable and downright scary they can be.
If men want their ex wives to feel safe enough to continue contact, then they have to go all out to behave in a responsible and respectful manner, but hey if they did that, I guess they wouldnt need a divorce in the first place.
I wish Noriko all the best, and hope she knows that most people can see through this abuse of the court system, and see this man for what his behaviour suggests he is. She is no criminal, she is a woman who got involved with the wrong man, and did what she could to extricate herself and her children. She is one brave lady. I hope the stress of all this doesnt get to her.
Homerun2
It is interesting and sad how people will support a man because they support a certain issue, but can't see how this certain man does not deserve their support at all.
Worried has given the details I wanted to say earlier.
In fact, it seems to me that judges were bought off in order for this sham artist to be awarded custody. The whole thing is a sham and an injustice. Hard to believe they could carry it out to the tune of 6.1 million dollars and not get all their heads in a noose. I think it all just goes to so how many are caught up in the paradox of my first paragraph of this post.
Any other father and I would say he has a right to see his kids. But this guy? Heck no. Not after all this.
Noriko may have broken the court orders, but when the courts are this crooked you have an obligation to society and your kids to be disobedient.
Zenny11
Disillusioned.
As was said before here, that is only true for court settled divorces.
Mutually agreed divorces that are settled out of court are way better and all the terms can be settled on the divorce papers and are just as legally binding.
Disillusioned
Wow! All the bleeding hearts for this female criminal. All those showing compassion towards her have never had to deal with the Japanese BS known as joint custody. There is no such thing in Japan. the mother dictates how, when and IF the father has any visitation to his children. She also dictates the amount of child support regardless of visitation, if any. There are no formal laws as in non-third world countries. The financial settlement is alao dictated by the woman. So, she gets rhe house, the kids, the money and he hets a good sriff rogering. It is nothing short of a farce!
worried
Those children have a mother who loves them very much indeed, and who was clever and brave enough to extricate both herself and the children from the situation in the US. She seems like a resourceful brave woman, and Im sure those children will be absolutely fine with her. All they need now, is for their father to stop piling more pressure and stress upon this woman who already has been through so much.
In the same situation I would have done the same thing as Noriko did. In fact I think she behaved with more grace than most given the treatment he allegedly meeted out to her. Im sure all she wants is for him to leave her and those children be.
In situations like this, with this type of man it is often more about losing - both control and the upper hand, rather than doing what is best for those children.
Nicky Washida
Sadly, this comment says it all.
This issue is nothing to do with Japans sovereign rights, unless it considers itself to have sovereign rights over its children. If it does, then it is a very scary place to raise them.
This issue is all about the rights of children and parents to have a healthy relationship IF that is what they both want.
This CASE however - I agree with many that Chris Savoie has done the Hague convention movement no favours at all, given the appalling treatment he has meted out to his first wife, and I cant honestly say I wouldnt have done the same thing in her circumstances.
I also agree that signing this convention actually means nothing, given that so many countries who have signed dont enforce it anyway, or manage to finally enforce it by right around the time the kids reach adulthood. I would put money on Japan not enforcing anything, because their domestic laws dont take any account of this issue. So dont worry Yuri Otani, even if they do sign your "sovereign rights" wont be affected.
Why is it so hard for parents to put their kids first? Why couldn`t Chris have gotten his obviously-wanted divorce in Japan, moved home, and travelled back and forth to see his kids, and worked something out with his ex? He obviously had the money to do it. He got greedy and selfish and it looks like now he is going to wind up with nothing. Meanwhile, what has all this done to those poor children?
cleo
worried, I agree with you. His 'rights' count for nothing. It's the kids' right to see their father that would get him visits. Of course if the kids don't want to see him, they shouldn't have to.
worried
Cleo, you are too kind. Why should this woman or her children be forced to have anything to do with this man? Does anyone think for one second about the psychological and emotional pain just seeing this man, and having him near her children, that this would cause her? Does she matter at all?
Women should not have to be pander to men and their sense of privilege and entitlement to their own and their children`s detriment.
I hope she lets go of whatever residual feelings she has towards him as the father of those children, and go on the legal offensive. Just because he happens to have been a sperm donor, does not make him a father worth having in those childrens lives. His behaviour towards their mother has been reprehensible. Mens Rights Groups are doing themselves no favors by having this man as a poster boy.
Piglet
It's already the case. She risks being arrested in many countries if she dares travel abroad, because she has been placed on a FBI list and the US have extradition treaties with a number of countries.
gogogo
Japan has stated twice now they are about the sign, he wont get the money, she would have to travel to the US but would be instantly arrested at the airport.
Zenny11
amerijap.
Signing alone means zilch.
Check how many countries signed the convention but never implemented it, one of the biggest european countries is also one of the biggest violators of the treaty after signing it. Good luck getting your kids back from that and other countries that are signatories, not going to happen.
That is the reality, as other have said signing is a gesture till local culture and laws change nothing will happen.
BTW, the USA is also rather "protective" of its own citizens and will go to lengths not to have to send them overseas. Many cases in the media.
jasperandy
This case perhaps highlights weaknesses in both Japan and the USA.
Japanese Child custody law needs updating.
Having just returned from the US for a visit for the first time for many years, I was struct by the vast amount of advertisements for Lawyers wanting to help you sue anyone or anything. TV, vast Billboards, everywhere. I suspect mnny of the current ills in the US systmem (such as the complete mess of health care, where despite spending more per capita on health care, ther situation exist where a large proportion of the population cannot afford access to it) come from the sue happy culture, where much of the resources are syphonied off the the 'legal proffession".
cleo
Savoie took out Japanese nationality, so officially this was not an international marriage.
Never mind what Chris wants, never mind what Noriko wants. What's important is what's in the best interests of the kids, and in this particular case those would appear to be best served by letting them live in their natural home (Japan) with their mother, visiting rights for the father (These would have to be supervised, since he's already shown himself to have a penchant for duplicity and violent abduction, not to mention cold-hearted bloody-mindedness towards his ex).
I'm not blind to the concerns of genuine parents who have lost their children in the mire of the Japanese legal system (or lack of) - but really, Chris Savoie is not the man you want to choose as your poster boy. He undermines all your arguments about the rule of law.
Ken Watanabe
Well if this is the direction the Japanese government takes, I would not hesitate to give up my Japanese citizenship in the future. This country really needs to change its law on family and registration system. It's not just right to shut down the people on international marriage.
ihavegreatlegs
Japan will not join. Fukushima will be the excuse.
DenTok2009
I recall catching the show (Today? GMA? can't remember which morning show and who did the interviewing...) and had questions. He's remarried already?! He's remarried and still wants his kids?! (I think most men would be happily ditch the kids from the previous relationship then moan and groan to the new love about the ex being so unfair or be content with the every other week parenting or start another family.) The new wife is supporting his cause?! (Wow, willing to be a mother to the children of the previous relationship...)
Then when I arrived in Japan, I caught a bit of the shows here airing the attempted abduction or whatever. I found out a bit about Savoie. Taking up Japanese citizenship (so why did he flee back to the states?), cheating on Noriko, divorcing then remarrying quickly...
I didn't know Savoie plead his case here. I wonder if I can access the archives.
tkoind2
Japan will soon bend to pressure to join the convention. When they do, this lady will be unable to travel outside Japan without fear of arrest. Further, Japan will be pressured into enforcing at least the custody element of this dispute. Her days are numbered. She should try to make ammends now before she is forced to.
It is time that Japan stop being so backwards on many international issues.
audacious
Noriko should countersue in Japan and get a warrant of arrest so that he can never come back to Japan
Ken Watanabe
This case could be one step for those who are in a very similar situation, and serve as a catalyst for Japan's move for signing the Hague convention. It's a moral victory for International Child Custody, while I have less sympathy with Savoie today than it was 20 months ago. Most mainstream media in the US(and some of those in Japan) create Savoie as brave, gallantry heroic figure who is fighting for legal entanglement and social injustice. They failed to mention that an inadequate deliberation by the Tennessee state court was the reason for allowing the defendant to flee the US with children. Instead, they only faulted inflexible Japanese Family Law for this legal entanglement. Remember it was Chris who brought his ex-wife to the US and set up his agenda as child abduction case.
I agree that the defendant cannot (and should not) be innocent for her failure to comply with the state jurisdiction. It was her choice to come all the way to the US, although reluctantly, I guess, to finalize an estranged marital relationship with Chris. She should have known better than anybody if that choice made her comfortable--regarding her ex-husband's motive. It was apparent that Chris had an ulterior motive to humiliate her pretty bad with his new girlfriend, and through legal entrapment, since he made his choice to get back to Tennessee to close out a broken marital relationship in his own country.
cleo
Yes. The original ruling, that the back-of-beyond Tennessee sticks was the 'habitual home' of the two children and so there they should stay, was sheer lunacy. They were born and raised in Japan and were dragged to America by their father under false pretenses. The original ruling did not take the best interests of the children into account, and should never have been made.
Hopefully this cash-grab will also be recognised in Japan as being equally loony, and poor-faith Chris will go whistling for his money.
Taka, have you and I been reading different JTs? Savoie certainly has been pleading his case here before, but I don't recall many people supporting him once they knew the facts.
BlueWitch
**YuriOtani,
Please becareful how you talk, not all of us japanese nationals agree with you. My husband (japanese as well) got his 2 kids abducted by his ex wife (japanese) and she took them to CANADA!!! and guess what? Japan is not a Hague convention member so they CAN NOT help him in any way..まぁ、しょうがないでしょうよ。 So how's that for double standards?
Its a shameless lie to say that all Japanese are child abductors, because we have japanese whose children were taken away by other japanese to foreign countries as well!! I have heard many cases.
The TRUTH is that not only foreigners need this but many japanese as well. We all need this to protect our children from internationl child abduction. That said, I am also hoping this country will change its outdated and backward laws regarding DOMESTIC child abduction which happens daily and the police won't do ANYTHING!!**
combinibento
FYI, to everyone claiming he was a bad person, had affairs, etc... Tennessee has no-fault divorce laws, meaning all that is irrelevant. She took the kids, she pays. end of story.
Laguna
I agree Savoie makes a poor poster boy, but in the end, the law is the law; without it, there is chaos. If Noriko had spent a bit more time and effort in the States working things out, she would not have become an international criminal. It is a sad case all around.
YuriOtani
He will never see the money, so sad, so sorry. A good reason for Japan not to sign the agreement. There is nothing that can force Japan into signing away our sovereign rights.
kawaiipineapple
Savoie legally has a stronger case. Noriko was given custody of the children as long as she agreed to keep them in the U.S. and not take them to Japan without permission. When she secretly took the kids back to Japan, she broke her end of the agreement, and the courts gave Savoie full custody. And while $6.1 million is a lot of money, the family was like SUPER rich (but perhaps not $6.1 million rich).
Child abduction by Japanese parents is a huge problem, which is why Japan is planning to join the 1980 Hague Convention soon. The case is about Japan as a rule refusing to recognize any and all agreements on child custody drawn in other countries, despite the circumstances. Unfortunately, Savoie shouldn't have become the poster boy for this issue.
chuckbello
I saw an interview of Christopher Savoie's lawyer on the Today show couple years ago when I was back in the States and it seems that he had a good case. All I can say is both parents have to put the welfare of the children front and center.
combinibento
While some US judgments are enforced in Japan, from what I've read Japan in general has a public policy against punitive damages and has refused to enforce judgments where the punies outweigh the actual damages. My guess is that the 6.1 million includes punitive damages, and will probably not be recognized by a court of law here, much less collectible.
worried
The children were born and raised in Japan.
Christopher took Japanese citizenship. Noriko was led to believe by this action that he intended to stay in Japan.
He then packed his wife and children up, and took them to Tennassee, where he promptly filed for a divorce, and set up home with the American woman.
At this point he gave Noriko money, and expected her to stay in the US, after having been duped into going there, just so he could retain control over the children. This court in the US then awards HIM money!
Noriko wont pay, she paid enough already in the suffering this man has caused her and continues to cause her and the children. This is not about the kids, this is about control.
nath
I don't think it was ever about the money, but it now puts more pressure on the Japanese gov't to sign the international treaty governing child abductions. From my way of looking at it, the ruling states that the Japanese way of allowing their citizens to kidnap children and bring them back to Japan is illegal and now this woman must pay.
Homerun2
If I remember correctly, this case is a good reason why Japan should not sign the treaty on abduction.
I seem to remember researching this, and felt the Tennesse courts were really unfair to Noriko as were Christopher and his new wife. The new wife also seemed to be pretty nutty and devious with regard to the whole case too.
Everyone accuses the Japanese of favoritism to their own, as if the Americans never do that! I will have to look up the specifics later, but I felt this case was the poster child of American bias in custody cases.
himehentai
sorry christopher savoie ... you have as much change of seeing this money as you do of seeing your kids. Slim to none.
I wish it wasn't the case ...