Something I don't like about Japan:

My brother, Jeff, was married to a Japanese woman. He is American. They had a child together. They divorced and he won custody due to the mother's behavior. She lived within 20 minutes and had a lot of visitation to enjoy with their son. My brother held his son’s passport for safe keeping, as the ex had threatened to move back to Japan and take their son with her. He also made contact with the local consulate and was assured the ex couldn't get their son a passport in the future.

Fast forward a couple years to a day Jeff is to get his son back but ex and child don't show up at the arranged meeting place. Her phone is turned off. Her apartment is empty of personal effects and they are gone. Airport surveillance shows them boarding a plane a few days prior.

Jeff fights like a rabid dog legally and gets full custody in Japan as he already has it in the States. He goes to Washington D.C. to fight policy. He heads Bring Abducted Children Home (BAC Home) an organization to return children to their rightful parent. He travels to Japan when an investigator thought he had found his son hoping for a long awaited reunion. Wrong kid. It's been horribly expensive and all consuming of his life. The worst part of all is Jeff's broken spirit; it kills me. My brother hasn't seen or spoken to his son, his only child, in 7 years because Japan will not enforce anything in family court. Typical Japanese divorce looks like this: Mom keeps kids, Dad goes away. That's not the type of father my brother is; this option does not work here.

I hope to see my nephew again. His name is Atomu Morehouse, we all called him Mochi. His kidnappers name is Michiyo “Chi” Imoto.

His hair is lighter and finer than his peers in Japan. As it's been 7 years I don't know what he looks like today but this picture is my favorite. He was very proud of his Lego skills.