More of the same: Child abductions and Japan

Hillman dropped [his son] Sean off that evening at the home of his ex-wife, Mayumi Ogawa...

....Thirty-six weeks have passed since Hillman last saw his son and, despite court orders and felony charges filed this month against Ogawa, he's unsure if he ever will see him again...

...Hillman received a threatening e-mail from a Japanese attorney retained by Ogawa, claiming he'd face stalking charges if he attempted to contact his son...

The excuse by the robot at the Japanese Embassy:

"Japanese courts always take into consideration what the best interest of a child is with respect to each individual case..." Seattle P.I.

And, it seems, the best interest of the child is always to remain with the Japanese parent (who often become fugitives wanted by Interpol) who kidnapped him or her.

Note that Interpol's Japan page states that in Japan: "Parental abduction or a kidnapping by unknown persons in both cases are considered as kidnapping."

Oh, it's just all so confusing. Could it be that kidnapping your child from a foreign country is not considered kidnapping in Japan? Must not be as the father stated in the article that "No child has been legally or diplomatically returned to the US from Japan."

More from Interpol Japan page: No case has been known to Japanese police in which a child reported missing in Japan was taken away abroad, and so Japanese Police has not requested for the publication of a "Yellow Notice"* for a missing child until now.

However, it is necessary for Japanese Police to have a system in place which can be effectively used for the publication of, and reference to, 'Yellow Notices" in case incidents requiring such actions should happen in the future.

Does this mean Japan would change its tune were a child to be abducted by a parent in Japan and taken to a foreign country? Nah, that would be hypocritical.

*Yellow Notice: To help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves. (Interpol)