A woman in her 40s, “Ai,” a Tokyo graphic designer, became pregnant in 2022 after her fiancé proposed and they moved into a new home. But when his family opposed the marriage, he broke off the engagement, vanished while she was away for childbirth, and later—through a lawyer—offered only ¥16,000 a month in child support, with no involvement in parenting. He has yet to pay anything.
Her son was soon diagnosed with pediatric cancer, facing a 50% fatality risk. Ai works nearly nonstop, caring for him alone, with no family support and little sleep, while struggling to cover living and medical costs. The father’s limited payment and refusal to help have left her angry and feeling abandoned.
In Japan, about 70% of single mothers receive no child support, and poverty rates among such households are high. A 2024 legal reform introduced “statutory child support” and the right to seize assets without prior court orders, but experts say it still fails when the paying parent disappears. In contrast, the US enforces payments through tax authorities and can impose jail time for nonpayment.
Ai has demanded ¥5 million in damages plus 20 years’ worth of child support paid upfront, since the father has already said he would stop paying if he has children with someone else. So far, she has received only partial moving costs.
Despite hardships, her son has survived treatment, though with lasting health issues. Ai questions what the father valued more than his child’s well-being and calls Japan too lenient toward men who abandon their parental responsibilities. The father’s lawyer says he wants to resolve the matter through court mediation.
by MagazineKey4532