Japanese table tennis star reaches agreement with ex-husband in high-profile battle over custody of 4-year-old son

Especially in Japan joint custody is really foreign concept.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/03/08/japan/society/joint-custody-bill/

So the moral of the story is that Japanese court orders are only effective if jail time is involved for noncompliance. That’s the only reason she returned the son to the father.

It’s interesting, and sad, that this whole joint custody issue always comes up with a foreign father. So, basically Japanese fathers are totally fine with never seeing their kids again.

It’s interesting, and sad, that this whole joint custody issue always comes up with a foreign father. So, basically Japanese fathers are totally fine with never seeing their kids again.

No, it’s sad when any father is blocked from seeing their kids, this high profile case will bring this issue once again to the forefront. Japan really needs to change its old archaic laws regarding child dual custody cases. Each case is different and not all are the same or a one size fit all. No woman (not all, but mostly women in these cases) should ever unilaterally have the power to decide what is in the child’s best interest when there are two people involved. I know a few fathers that have zero contact to their children and their former spouses. Dual custody would be the best solution and take each case individually and fairly and this will give any parent finally some glimmer of hope.

Fukuhara returned to Japan with the boy to spend the summer in 2022, but cut off contact with Chiang, refusing to bring the son back to Taiwan and triggering their custody battle.

Wouldn't be the first time a Japanese wife has displayed such immature behaviour. They used to be able to get away with it.

And then she compounds it all with this: "But Fukuhara took the boy to China, apparently to escape Japanese jurisdiction and avoid being compelled to hand over the child."

And then she compounds it all with this: "But Fukuhara took the boy to China, apparently to escape Japanese jurisdiction and avoid being compelled to hand over the child."

As bad and incompetent as her actions were it is in somewhat a bit of a blessing because now this story puts more scrutiny and pressure on the Japanese government to take child dual custody issues more seriously, because this is one critical issue that the Japanese try to avoid like The bubonic plague. So there is definitely a silver lining in all of this.

At least they were able to come to an agreement after she selfishly kidnap the baby.

It was so satisfying to see an abductor apologizing and recognizing the fault.

I hope she can be an example to all the parents in Japan that act like this.

Also, Japan, wake up. It’s 2024.

So there is definitely a silver lining in all of this.

Yes, I can see your point. Let's hope so.

Will she be punished for the child abduction?

yeah it suddenly suxs when a gaijin takes the child to another country, but when a Japanese takes a child to Japan without the gaijin consent its all fine.

“From now on, I will cooperate with Mr Chiang in raising our children,”

Absolutely ZERO respect for this coward. She should be put behind bars for kidnapping, not allowed to remain free and take care of a child. What kind of role model does the kid have? A mom who kidnaps people and flouts the laws.

“From now on, I will cooperate with Mr Chiang in raising our children,” Ai Fukuhara said at a news conference announcing that she and former husband Chiang Hung-chieh had reached an agreement on their son's custody.

She bowed deeply and left without taking any questions, leaving her two lawyers to do so on her behalf, along with their counterparts representing Chiang.

Even if she is in the wrong, why is anything between these 2 grown adults any of our business? Why do these people have to apologize and make clarifications to us? Most of us have our own family and issues to deal with.

Although both parents are former athletes I question why this story is categorized under "Sports" ?

Even if she is in the wrong, why is anything between these 2 grown adults any of our business? Why do these people have to apologize and make clarifications to us? Most of us have our own family and issues to deal with.

Because she represented Japan as an athlete, is a public figure, broke the laws of Taiwan at least and joint custody is an important topic recently. Finally, this is a rare rare case where a father gets custody. Frankly I am not aware of a Westerner father getting custody, they always lose.

Absolutely ZERO respect for this coward. She should be put behind bars for kidnapping, not allowed to remain free and take care of a child. What kind of role model does the kid have? A mom who kidnaps people and flouts the laws.

Trust me, when I tell you, he’s very lucky because of the notoriety, and the fame surrounding the situation. Had it been just a regular Joe, most likely would’ve been different, and there would not even be a court trial like this, so while her behavior has been utterly abysmal in all of this, this is not the case, this happens to thousands of people in Japan, and even more so when you have a interracial relationship, the courts always going to side with a Japanese parent 98% of the time, so it’s good. This is all brought to attention.

Nibek32Today  08:11 am JST

It’s interesting, and sad, that this whole joint custody issue always comes up with a foreign father. So, basically Japanese fathers are totally fine with never seeing their kids again.

Nope. Not every Japanese parent wth custody refuses their child's contact with the former spouse. So nobody is "fine" with anything. The lack of a joint custody aspect in Japanese family law only impacts situations where such contact is prevented by the custodial parent.

There is no doubt that Joint Custody is another of the several backwards Japanese laws that need to be updated to accomodate the 21st century.

However, even in places with Joint Custody laws, as in the U.S., one parent very often attempts to prevent the child from having contact with the former spouse.

Unlike many other countries, Japan doesn’t currently allow legal dual custody of children for their divorced parents. Only one parent can take the children, though the other parent can gain visitation rights.

In the US under actual practice. even though the two parents may legally have joint custody, the child lives with one parent (usually the mother) and the father simply gets "visitation rights". Furthermore in many States, there are mechanisms to ensure that the father does not fail to pay his monthly child support, such as suspending his driver's license. So "Joint Custody" alone is far from a resolution to all problems.

@ redemption,

The couple was divorced under Taiwanese law. There are a plethora of cases were divorce was granted under U.S. law or British law and the father was granted custody only to have the japanese mother abscond with the child (children) only to have the japanese legal system protect her. I remember one father winding up in Japanese jail for trying to recover the child for whom he had legal custody in his home country.

Although The japanese government signed the Hague Convention on Child Abduction and it went into force here in 2014 the local courts have never complied.

OssanAmericaToday  02:04 pm JST

In the US under actual practice. even though the two parents may legally have joint custody, the child lives with one parent (usually the mother) and the father simply gets "visitation rights". Furthermore in many States, there are mechanisms to ensure that the father does not fail to pay his monthly child support, such as suspending his driver's license. So "Joint Custody" alone is far from a resolution to all problems.

Did anyone say that it's a resolution to all problems? Since the couple divorced or separated, there's likely lot's of problems that remain unresolved but allowing legal joint custody or visitation rights is certainly a good first step for Japan which is still in the middle ages in this regard, overvalues the rights of the Japanese parent while ignoring the rights of the foreign parent, and still refuses to address the issue for all parents in this situation. It's unrealistic to have literal joint custody as the child would have to have two schools, two official domiciles, etc. One parent has to be the primary.

Former Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medallist Ai Fukuhara prepares to make a brief statement during a news conference 

Ai has accomplishments in her chosen sport but has skated by a lot on her cuteness.

What Fukuhara has done is not immature behaviour, it is criminal. Think about what has endured the son.

Judicial system of Japan is at fault not allowing a fair treatment of both parents.

A black or white judgment is a medieval (Edo era for Japan) way of thinking.

What Fukuhara has done is not immature behaviour, it is criminal. Think about what has endured the son.

Judicial system of Japan is at fault not allowing a fair treatment of both parents.

A black or white judgment is a medieval (Edo era for Japan) way of thinking.

My best friend had a bitter custody battle with his ex, just awful his ex was just beyond vindictive and she swore to make his life miserable and that he would never see his daughter again, I tried to reason with her as well as some other friends, but she said verbatim "Who is father, what does that even mean? ONLY MOTHER is important, it's the only thing that matters! She grew in my belly, so she's my child, nothing can replace a mother." The courts in the US gave them dual custody, and she snuck out of the country, and returned to Japan, the last time he saw and held his daughter she was 6 and now she is 25, he came to Japan to see if she would talk to him and hear his side of the story, when he caught up with her and told her who he was, she ran and screamed, "leave me alone, I don't want to talk to you, you are a bad man." And that's it, he will most likely never speak to his daughter again, I don't believe in giving up, but at this point, he can't get near his daughter, she will scream, call the police, and won't even TRY to listen to his side of the story, she just knows what her mother told her most of her life and that is the only thing she cares and goes by, the family had years to poison her mind against her father. His side of the family only knew her as a baby briefly, he tried to reach out to her on Instagram as well and she blocked him, so it is a very difficult thing in Japan, that is just one friend and I know 3 more that have had custody issues with their Japanese spouses. 

Japanese family lawyers know the rules and laws concerning the newer ratified custody laws, but they don't necessarily follow them or comply with the law.

Just to give you an example of how archaic these laws are in Japan.

https://youtu.be/3iI1Tnbg0HQ?si=IZLX0Gf9Wjx1M0q6

bass4funk: "Trust me,  when I tell you, he’s very lucky because of the notoriety, and the fame surrounding the situation."

I'm not sure why you're acting as though this is news to me. It's not. This is maybe the only time we've ever been in agreement (and one of the only times I think you are being genuine... sorry). I'm only surprised it seems to be resolved, and won't be surprised when she reneges. This woman has always been mentally unstable, and she continues to prove she is incapable of taking care of others, let alone her own mental state.

I'm not sure why you're acting as though this is news to me. It's not.

I never implied that it was, I was just telling you my personal experience I had with my best friend in dealing with this very situation.

This is maybe the only time we've ever been in agreement (and one of the only times I think you are being genuine... sorry).

For the record, I’m always genuine, always.

I'm only surprised it seems to be resolved, and won't be surprised when she reneges. This woman has always been mentally unstable, and she continues to prove she is incapable of taking care of others, let alone her own mental state.

I wouldn’t entirely disagree with that for sure.