[SAVeronika]

Does anyone have any recent info on Japan? Any success stories? I've been trying to find some information, but there's not much out there. Let me say up front that I am not willing to shell out $60 000 - $65 000, as quoted by one agency. Who can I contact in Japan to find info? I've sent an email to ISSJ and am awaiting their reply. Would it be feasible to search for a potential birth mom and try to do a private adoption? in advance.

[sak9645]

There are relatively few children available for adoption in Japan. One reason is the relative prosperity of the country. But a very important reason is that there is a huge emphasis on the "blood tie" in Japan. Many people who can't parent put a child into an orphanage, but will not release him/her for adoption because they can't imagine a decent person willing to give his family name, etc. to an unrelated person. And international adoption is particularly incomprehensible.

The non-Japanese people who have had the most success adopting from Japan are those who actually are living in the country for a while and have familiarity with the adoption system. However, it is not totally impossible for someone living overseas to adopt, even without using an American agency.

The U.S. State Department website has a very clear description of the Japanese adoption process, which can assist a person trying to adopt without an agency. Go to Intercountry Adoption Japan.

One thing you need to remember is that not all children available for adoption in Japan meet the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act eligibility requirements for an adoption visa. If you adopt a child in Japan (or any other country) who is not eligible for an adoption visa, you would have to live overseas with him/her for at least two years before obtaining a regular visa for him/her.

I wish you good luck.

Sharon

[onelittleone]

It is very difficult to adopt from Japan, but it can be done. We found our birthmother while living there. sak9645 is right about the orphanages. The parents usually come and "claim" the child at about 16 so the child can bring in money for the family. It is very sad. There are children to adopt from Japan, but Japanese people have the option to adopt first, then the court will look at non-Japanese couples. They are so worried about their blood-ties that often adoptive parents will move to another place after adoption so no one will know it isn't their bio child.
Our total cost for adoption was about $13000. You will need to call ISSJ.

[onelittleone]

Our total cost for adoption was about $13000 because we didn't use an agency. We did it all ourselves.

[nori]

Hi all,

I just adopted baby boy from Japan last year.
Name of agency is "Mamas&Papas" and they have coodinator who speaks English.
She lives in CA and helped American adoptive parents.

Cost for us was around $14,000
including bio mom's hospital fee& their filing fee.
We did visa process by ourselves.

Here is their English introdution.
Introduction of Mamas & Papas@ / @Domestic and Intercountry adoption agency

By the way here is what is Japanese consent by devorce.
It's very interesting.




Did you know...? Divorce in Japan, especially divorce by mutual consent (kyogi rikon), differs greatly from divorce in the United States, particularly in the area of child custody.

In many cases a Japanese divorce decree issued following a divorce by mutual consent is not sufficient to prove sole legal and physical custody of a child. Japanese law does not recognize joint custody, thereby rendering the establishment of sole custody in a divorce by mutual consent vague as custody is awarded to one parent even in cases where physical custody of the child is shared by both parents. Therefore, in many cases we may ask for a notarized consent form from the non-custodial parent where only a divorce decree by mutual consent exists or we could request further evidence of sole legal and physical custody.