Reportedly, divorced fathers in Japan are fighting hard to see their children. Japan child custody laws reportedly grant custody to only one parent, which is almost always the mother. Japanese law doesn’t explicitly say mothers should get custody — only that one parent should, but by cultural default, that’s the mother.

On Christmas Eve two years ago, Masahiro Yoshida reportedly returned to his home to find it empty. His wife had fled with their 2-year-old daughter, seeking a divorce. Since then, he’s rarely seen his child because Japanese law grants custody to only one parent — almost always the mother. His wife has refused to allow him regular visits, accusing him of emotional swings and past verbal and sometimes physical abuse.

Yoshida, a 58-year-old musician, is among a small but growing number of divorced or separated fathers who have turned to the courts to get child custody, or at least gain a right to see their children. More broadly, many are demanding a change in Japanese law to allow joint child custody, as is the case in most developed countries.

For full story click here.