Japan's Child Support Arrangements Rise

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)--The share of couples in Japan who arranged child support payments upon divorce rose to 74.7 pct in the second quarter of the year from 55.5 pct a year before, the Justice Ministry said Friday.

The rise followed a Civil Code revision in April that allows custodial parents to claim at least 20,000 yen per month from the noncustodial parent.

The share of divorced couples who arranged parent-child contact climbed by about 19 percentage points to 75.8 pct, while that of such couples who arranged shared child care was 70.3 pct.

For cases of nonpayment, the revised Civil Code includes a provision that prioritizes the collection of child support payments over other creditors.

"The revision of the law has had an effect," Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita told a press conference, emphasizing the importance of child care arrangements in securing children's interests. "We will continue to work to raise awareness of the revised law."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]