I held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (for the right to see my children!).

Three foreign fathers who have received consultations from APFS, along with Representative Director Kato, held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.
More than 2.1 million foreigners live in Japan. Many foreigners marry Japanese citizens, but some end up divorcing. After a divorce, the Japanese wife often obtains custody of the children, and even if the foreign husband desperately wants to see his children, the Japanese wife unilaterally refuses to allow it. In addition, if the foreign husband's residency status is terminated after the divorce and he returns to his home country, he may never be able to see his children again. With the Japanese government announcing its accession to the Hague Convention, the issue of children in international divorces has become a major concern in Japanese society. At the press conference, three foreign fathers expressed their doubts about Japan's divorce laws and argued, based on their specific experiences, that the laws need to be changed.

Date and time: Friday, August 5, 2011, 15:00-16:00
Venue: Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan
Theme: The Right to See My Own Children! —A Foreign Father's Appeal—
Attendees at the press conference
1. A man in his 40s from Bangladesh (father of one child)
2. A man in his 30s from Tunisia (father of two children)
3. A man in his 20s from Mali (father of one child)
4. Representative Director of this organization: Jotaro Kato
Sponsored by (Special Activity) ASIAN PEOPLE'S FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY (APFS)