[Esha]

Hello has anyone adopted from Japan. What was the experince like?

Thanks
Esha

[sak9645]

It is very difficult to adopt from Japan. The Americans who are most successful seem to be those where at least one spouse is Japanese and those who have been living in Japan for a couple of years.

Few children are available for any kind of adoption, and fewer still for international adoption. Even if there is an orphanage that is full of children, most of the children will NOT be adoptable. Their Moms or Dads may be unable to parent them, but refuse to relinquish them for adoption.

The main reason is that the Japanese people have an extremely strong belief in the importance of the "blood tie". It is often difficult for them to understand that decent people would consider adopting a child who is not a blood relative, giving the child their surname, giving the child inheritance rights, etc. As a result, they are often suspicious that people who adopt are doing so for immoral and illegal purposes. While some "might" eventually come around to letting a Japanese family adopt, it is rare for family members to consider placing a child with a non-Japanese person.

Since there are so few children available for international adoption, few American agencies have programs in Japan, and most of those that do have programs will work only with families of Japanese heritage. You will have to look long and hard to find an agency that will work with you.

Non-Japanese people wishing to adopt from Japan often go "independent" -- contacting the adoption authorities, contacting orphanages, working with a local attorney, etc. It should be noted that, if you go this route, you should also be sure that you understand U.S. immigration law. Just because you complete an adoption under Japanese law does NOT mean that the child will automatically qualify for an immigrant visa to enter the U.S., issued by the USCIS.

Sharon

[Olivejmk]

We adopted a family member from Japan so my experience might not be helpful however I joined the Yahoo Group: Japanese Adoption Support which was an excellent resource. The group is pretty quiet but consists of several people who have adopted successfully from Japan.