Japan's parliament recently passed a bill allowing divorced parents to choose joint custody. This marks the first change to parental custody laws in 77 years. Parliament's upper house approved the bill on Friday, signaling a significant shift toward adopting a practice prevalent in many other countries.
The law gives divorced parents the opportunity to choose between joint or sole custody of their children, departing from the existing system in which typically only one parent holds parental rights after divorce.
If disputes arise, a family court intervenes and decides on custody arrangements. According to the new version, in cases where there is suspicion of domestic violence or abuse by one parent, sole custody will be awarded to the other parent.
The updated law is intended to come into force within two years of its announcement and will be applied retroactively to people who have already gone through divorce proceedings.
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