Next week President Obama will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Abe in Washington D.C. The Prime Minister is anticipated to deliver a commitment to implementing Hague legislation. However, there has been no previously announced plan for resolution of existing cases. In advance of the meeting, Bring Abducted Children Home delivered letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Japan to Japanese consulates throughout the U.S.

By Paul Toland

“Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.”  ~Author Unknown

A few days ago, I watched the film “From the Shadows” about the human rights tragedy of International Parental Child Abduction to  Japan.  The scene that struck me hardest was watching Kaya Wong’s paternal grandmother attempt to visit Kaya on her way home from school and bring her some presents including a stuffed Panda bear.  Kaya’s mother Akemi died from cancer in 2005  and soon after she was abducted by her maternal grandparents, Satoru and Sumiki Yokoyama.  Kaya’s father, Paul Wong, has had no access to Kaya since the abduction.  Likewise, Kaya’s paternal grandparents have also had no access to her.

Dear Mochi,

I tried to find you during New Year’s in Japan. I have never given up. I just wanted to give you a present, some Legos. They were always your favorite. Maybe I’d get to speak to you or give you a hug.

I walked seventeen miles through the snow and rain, over two days, trying to locate your grandparent’s house. I was hoping you might visit there for the holidays.

By Jeffery Morehouse

On my recent trip to Japan, I met with several of the leaders, activists and groups in movement there to end parental child abduction and create joint custody laws. Their domestic problem is enormous in its volume. I met parents that had some briefly monthly visitation and as extreme as a father who has not seen his children for seven years. He would later assist me as I tried to deliver a present for my son on New Year’s Day.

One of the interesting facets was to see the utilization of Japanese animation characters in doing the public outreach at the event in Gifu, Japan. Frankly at first, I thought it was strange and undercut the seriousness of this human and family rights issue. Then I looked at it through local eyes and saw its brilliance. These characters create an easy entry point to the hearts and minds of children and young women.

Dear Mochi,

We miss you so much and think about you everyday and pray that you are being well taken care of but, we along with your Daddy, want you to come back to your home. There are so many fun things waiting for you here.

Today, by unanimous consent the United States Senate passed S. Res. 543: International Parental Child Abduction. Japan is specified by name three times for these ongoing abductions.

The resolution condemns the unlawful international abduction of all children. It also calls on the United States and the international community to take additional steps to resolve current and future abduction cases.

BAC Home directors, members and friends worked diligently since August to provide information to senate staff on the vital importance of this resolution and the ongoing crisis of International Parental Child Abduction to Japan and other countries. This condemnation by the United States Senate is not an end, but a very solid step that we will continue to build on in the coming year.

Parents like José Cacho continue to raise awareness in Spain as he fights for the return of his son.

Please contact the President. Let him know you want him to publicly demand that Japan return our kidnapped children.

Write or call President Obama at:
The President, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20500
Tel:(202) 456-1111

By Brett Weed

According to the 2011 figures from the U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues, since 1994, 374 U.S. citizens have been “…wrongfully retained in Japan”, i.e. Kidnapped. Victims of this crime against children and families ask, “What are you doing about it Mr. President?” They want to know, “If it was your child, what would you do about it Mr. President?” We are talking about at least 374 U.S. citizens illegally held in Japan in contempt of the custodial parent.

Randy Collins on NBC4 News in L.A. discussing Keisuke’s Law.

As we were meeting prior to the event at a local coffee shop, the police arrived. The officer told us that the Seattle Consulate of Japan had called them and informed them of our intended protest. He also stated that they provided him with a printout from our Facebook page.

After a giving the officer an overview of the crisis of international parental child abduction to and within Japan, he wished us well and told us to call him if we had any questions while at the protest.

We have long suspected that the Government of Japan has been monitoring our efforts and activities. Now it has been confirmed, we have their attention. So if they no longer wish to be known as “A Black Hole For Child Abduction”, the solution is simple. Return our abducted children to us.

BAC Home holds a successful protest rally next to the Consulate of Japan booth at the2012 Aki Matsuri in Bellevue, WA. Japan is known internationally as “A Black Hole For Child Abduction”.

International parental child abduction is a crime and human rights violation. It is time the government of Japan show they will no longer support abduction and return children to their home countries.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today joined Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), John Kerry (D-MA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), James Inhofe (R-OK) and 10 colleagues to introduce a bipartisan resolution condemning the unlawful international abduction of all children. The resolution also calls on the United States and the international community to take additional steps to resolve current and future abduction cases. The resolution names the top ten countries for international child abduction. Japan is specified by name three times in the resolution.

On July 16, Jeffery Morehouse and Brett Weed met with the Deputy Consul General of Japan in Portland, Mr. Hirofumi Murabayashi to follow up on BAC Home’s July 2, 2012 letter to the Prime Minister.

This week parents, members and leadership of Bring Abducted Children Home are delivering a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Japan to Japanese consulates throughout the U.S.

We call on the Government of Japan to immediately aid and complete the safe return to the United States all American children abducted to Japan, and provide all American children abducted within Japan immediate and unfettered access to their U.S. parent.

President Obama visited Seattle on May 10, 2012. BAC Home was there working the crowds to educate citizens on children abducted to and within Japan. People were shocked and outraged by this ongoing human rights and family crisis. One by bystander even shouted out, “there’s a cause worth fighting for!”.

We were encouraged by the numerous media reports of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell’s strong position on behalf of our internationally abducted American children during a May 7, 2012 meeting with Japanese officials, politicians and family members of Japanese citizens abducted to North Korea.

Original post: http://4rionandlaurenandjulia.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/rions-9th-birthday/

Rion and her sisters Lauren and Julia were abducted from Vancouver, Canada to Japan September 2009.