How poignant! And how awful Japan is as effectively a rogue state, like Russia, in actively promoting child abduction. And we've seen the "defense" of domestic violence before. False allegations are SOP in abduction cases, just as mental illness is a common feature of abductors and abductresses. The poor guy, and the even poorer children, to have been out through this by a selfish mother supported by a xenophobic legal system.

Sadly, this type of scenario plays out every day when a parent takes the children and flees back to their home country. Usually there is a court order forcing visitation rights for the father. The mother usually hides behind her nationality and uses alleged abuse as the reason. Fathers take children too, but in much, much smaller numbers.

Fathers rights are virtually non-existent in foreign countries. Even with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Mothers can use the legal system of their own country to block or evade shared parenting. The Father is viewed as foreigner and not deserving of the due process of law in many countries.

Japan is extremely xenophobic and generally not welcoming of foreigners, but if you have money to spend, you are tolerated. If you come to teach conversational English, you are tolerated. People other than Japanese will always be "Gaijin", Normally the term means someone from outside Japan, according to PC correct thinking, but in reality it means a person who is a stranger, not a friend. In the past the term could be described as "foreign barbarian".

"Japan is the only G-7 member nation that hasn't signed the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, a treaty designed to protect the rights of child victims of international abduction by returning them to their place of habitual residence."

Fathers have it rough everywhere and that is something we must change. As a Dad, I empathize with the men being denied access to their children because of spiteful, bitter ex-wives and girlfriends.

Kids need their Dads in their lives to grow up and face life. When I was young, my best friend Todd was constantly over at my house, he was for all purposes my brother. His Dad was killed in Vietnam when he was 9 and his Mom never remarried. My Dad took us fishing, hunting, camping, all manner of guy stuff.

My Dad even chewed out Todd when he got suspended for a day from school when he was 13 for getting caught smoking. When Todd was 16, his Mom moved out of state to take a new job. The connection was not severed between Todd and my Dad. Todd sent my Dad copies of his report cards. My Dad sent Todd birthday and Christmas presents.

My Dad even went to Todd's graduation from college. My father wasn't Todd's biological father, nor any relation whatsoever. He had become Todd's Dad. I didn't mind a bit.

And that is what is important. Having a Dad when you need help or are in need. Having a male figure for both boys and girls to learn from.

Sadly, a lot of women (but not all) refuse to acknowledge this very basic need. By using the mantra of empowerment and "we don't need no menz" they affect the psychological makeup of the kids, and not for a positive outcome.

Look at how children of broken families behave in a general sense. What does that say about us?