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How To Adopt A Child In Japan For Foreigners 2024

How To Adopt In Japan_

If you want a baby and are looking for How to Adopt a child in Japan, I got you covered. Read more to find out how!

Adopting a child in Japan is a journey of compassion and commitment, with a unique set of legal and cultural steps to navigate. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the adoption process in Japan, from understanding eligibility criteria to completing the necessary legal procedures, ensuring a smooth path to expanding your family with care and love.

How to adopt in Japan?

This is how to adopt in Japan- it can be done based on faith, through private agencies, Child Guidance Centres (CGC) or through Koseki. Is it important to meet the requirements to register with agencies like CGC or private. However, there are a few hurdles like lack of proper care, negligence etc.

This article-how to adopt in Japan has all the necessary information you need before you start the beautiful journey or providing the safety of a home to a child in need and let you be a parent.

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Related: Here’s to understanding more about Japanese women, check out Japan’s approach to women rights!

Adoption In Japan for Foreigners: A Guide

  • Choose an adoption service provide

There are a number of adoption service providers in Japan that can help you through the adoption process. These providers can provide you with information about the adoption process, help you find a child to adopt, and provide support throughout the adoption process.

  • Meet the eligibility requirements

In order to adopt a child in Japan, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. These requirements vary depending on the adoption service provider you choose. However, some general eligibility requirements include being at least 25 years old, being married, and having a stable income.

  • Complete the home study

Once you have met the eligibility requirements, you will need to complete a home study. The home study is a process that assesses your suitability to adopt a child. The home study will typically include interviews with you, your spouse, and other family members, as well as a review of your financial and medical records.

  • Find a child to adopt

Once you have completed the home study, you will be able to start the process of finding a child to adopt. There are a number of ways to find a child to adopt in Japan, including working with an adoption service provider, searching online, or contacting adoption agencies in Japan.

  • Complete the adoption process

Once you have found a child to adopt, you will need to complete the adoption process. The adoption process varies depending on the adoption service provider you choose. However, some general steps in the adoption process include filing the adoption petition with the court, attending a hearing, and obtaining a court order approving the adoption.

  • Bring the child home

Once the adoption is finalized, you will be able to bring the child home. The process of bringing the child home will vary depending on your country of residence. However, you will typically need to obtain a visa for the child and make arrangements for the child’s travel.

Types Of Adoption In Japan

There are two types of adoption in Japan: regular adoption and special adoption.

  • Regular adoption: Regular adoption is a traditional type of adoption in Japan. It is a legal process that severs all ties between the adopted child and their birth parents. The adopted child is then considered to be the biological child of the adoptive parents.
  • Special adoption: Special adoption is a newer type of adoption in Japan. It is a legal process that does not sever all ties between the adopted child and their birth parents. The adopted child is still considered to be a member of their birth family, but they also become a member of the adoptive family.

The type of adoption that is available to you will depend on your circumstances. If you are a foreign national, you may only be able to adopt a child through special adoption.

FeatureRegular adoptionSpecial adoption
Severs ties between child and birth parentsNoYes
Typically used whenChild is adopted by stepparent or relativeChild is adopted by non-relative
Eligibility requirementsVaries, but typically includes being at least 25 years old, being married, and having a stable incomeVaries, but typically includes being at least 25 years old, being married, and having a stable income
Adoption processCan be long and complexCan be long and complex
CostCan be expensiveCan be expensive
Emotional challengesCan be emotionally challengingCan be emotionally challenging

Here are some additional details about each type of adoption:

Regular Adoption In Japan

  • Eligibility requirements

In order to adopt a child through regular adoption, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. These requirements vary depending on the adoption service provider you choose. However, some general eligibility requirements include being at least 25 years old, being married, and having a stable income.

  • Home study
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Once you have met the eligibility requirements, you will need to complete a home study. The home study is a process that assesses your suitability to adopt a child. The home study will typically include interviews with you, your spouse, and other family members, as well as a review of your financial and medical records.

  • Finding a child to adopt

Once you have completed the home study, you will be able to start the process of finding a child to adopt. There are a number of ways to find a child to adopt in Japan, including working with an adoption service provider, searching online, or contacting adoption agencies in Japan.

  • Adoption process

Once you have found a child to adopt, you will need to complete the adoption process. The adoption process varies depending on the adoption service provider you choose. However, some general steps in the adoption process include filing the adoption petition with the court, attending a hearing, and obtaining a court order approving the adoption.

  • Bringing the child home

Once the adoption is finalized, you will be able to bring the child home. The process of bringing the child home will vary depending on your country of residence. However, you will typically need to obtain a visa for the child and make arrangements for the child’s travel.

Special Adoption In Japan

  • Eligibility requirements

In order to adopt a child through special adoption, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. These requirements vary depending on the adoption service provider you choose. However, some general eligibility requirements include being at least 25 years old, being married, and having a stable income.

  • Home study

Once you have met the eligibility requirements, you will need to complete a home study. The home study is a process that assesses your suitability to adopt a child. The home study will typically include interviews with you, your spouse, and other family members, as well as a review of your financial and medical records.

  • Finding a child to adopt

Once you have completed the home study, you will be able to start the process of finding a child to adopt. There are a number of ways to find a child to adopt in Japan, including working with an adoption service provider, searching online, or contacting adoption agencies in Japan.

  • Adoption process

Once you have found a child to adopt, you will need to complete the adoption process. The adoption process varies depending on the adoption service provider you choose. However, some general steps in the adoption process include filing the adoption petition with the court, attending a hearing, and obtaining a court order approving the adoption.

  • Bringing the child home

Once the adoption is finalized, you will be able to bring the child home. The process of bringing the child home will vary depending on your country of residence. However, you will typically need to obtain a visa for the child and make arrangements for the child’s travel.

If you are considering adopting a child in Japan, it is important to do your research and understand the process before you begin. You should also be prepared for the emotional challenges that may come with the adoption process.

Types of Adoption Agencies Available In Japan

Source: Unsplash

Based on Faith

It’s good to know what your options are at first before you move to the question of how to adopt in Japan.

It is not uncommon that some people resort to adoption from faith-based institutions such as hospitals or agencies that deal with mothers who want to give up their child. 

These can often be found in Catholic hospitals and Christain agencies. One of the great things about this kind of adoption is that the waiting period isn’t much and can be waived to none, depending on the situation.

 The only costs that needed to be covered were the delivery and other hospital costs along with some commute related expenses.

There is nothing illegal about this form of adoption. All paperwork will be taken care of by the agency. This is how to adopt in Japan if you want kids.

Private Agencies

Source: Unsplash

Well, I’d say proceed with caution. The guarantee of being able to bring a child into your care is more here for sure, but so is the waiting period and how much it is going to cost you. 

Not only that, private agencies assume the right to ask you multiple personal questions about how to adopt in Japan.

There are several unreasonable documents to be signed that guarantees that the adoptive couple can not and will not try fertility treatment or try to conceive. 

Odd, right? But some people look the other way because desperate times call for desperate measures. This is how to adopt in Japan through private agencies.

On top of that, the birth mothers hold the right to change her mind and ask for her child back upto three months after giving it up to the adoptive parents. 

There is no knowing what will happen, but Japan generally encourages the blood and birth parents to be united with their child.

Child Guidance Centre (CGC)

Source: Unsplash

How to adopt in Japan through CGC? Approaching the adoption process through the Child Guidance centre is the most straightforward and cheapest method. 

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Initially, the prospective adoptive parents have to register with the CGC as a foster-to-adopt family in order to establish that you will not be undertaking this child under your foster care, but you will also end up adopting. 

Registering as a foster family suggests you only are fostering until things start looking up in the child’s biological family. A foster-to-adopt family is chosen after going through an interview and a home inspection.

If a child becomes available, the family is taken to visit the child in the hospital.

Followed by that, provided the family agrees to go ahead with the child, the family is allowed to keep the child in foster care for a six month trial period. If no problems arise and the family is doing well the adoption is finalized with the court.

There are some foster-to-adopt families that continue to foster the child so that they continue receiving government payments that are meant for the care of the child. Hope it’s clear on how to adopt in Japan through CGC.

Requirements to Meet

how to adopt in Japan
Source: Unsplash

There are multiple requirements to be met by the adoptive parents to complete their application process.

The Child Guidance Centre requires prospective parents to undergo training that involves a series of lectures that happen only twice a year. 

The couple needs to attend all of them in order to qualify as a prospective adoptive parent. The law only requires the prospective mother to attend (I find that incredibly sexist) these sessions.

 It is, however, more fruitful if the dad attends as well because that just means more care and readiness in the prospective adoptive family. It’s the basic requirement for how to adopt in Japan.

Because of the rareness of these sessions, in addition to the busy lives of the prospective parents, sometimes it is inevitable that the prospective parents miss a session. 

This sets them back miles and they have to wait a few more months to attend all the sessions and put on roll calls again. This is how to adopt in Japan- meeting the requirements is essential.

Hurdles During an Adoption

How to adopt in Japan, are there any hurdles?

One of the major hurdles I’ve seen adoptive parents undergo is that they have to wait and hope for permission from the biological parents even after they have given up their child. The birth mother has to agree to the adoption. 

This is the reason why many children are left in orphanages and foster care. Around 83% of the habitats of these orphanages are kids (upto 18) from homes where the children have been removed from their houses and have been given up.

This is because of lack of care and because they are subjected to neglect and abuse. Despite all of this, they still need permission from the biological parents to be adopted.

Even after managing to power through it and completing the adoption process, the biological parents have a lot of control over the child’s life. 

This, however, is an exception to those children that are adopted before the age of 6. If the child is adopted before six, the registration of the child will be under the adoptive parents and they will be his or her rightful guardian.

Related: Check out the best Japanese high schools that accept foreign students!

The Role of Koseki

What is the role of koseki- how to adopt in Japan?

Koseki is Japan’s family registry system that is a comprehensive record of all the family details. It goes on for multiple generations. This includes name, date of birth, citizenship, marriage details and even adoption. 

Now, as I mentioned before, a child can only be put in the family registry if he or she is adopted before 6 years of age. It can extend up to 8 if the child has started their foster period with the family before it was 6. This is the case of “special” adoption.

Being in a family’s koseki is the single most important thing in Japan. That is why adoptive parents prefer to adopt while the child is an infant. 

This way, the family can avoid all bureaucratic obstacles and the child can grow up believing they have a family that they belong to. I came across an account of a Kyushu woman who was adopted by a family when she was 7. 

She was loved and beloved by her family and she loved them back until she found out that they were her foster parents. She never told anyone she knew about this. After all, she wanted to be their koseki

After her biological mother died when she was 14, she was free to be adopted by anyone. The foster parents did not have to assume that responsibility after she was 18.

But, she went to the extent of telling them she’d drop out of school and work to ‘pay’ them like they were receiving compensation to foster her. In exchange, all she wanted was to be in their koseki. This is pretty uncommon though.

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I hope it’s clear how to adopt in Japan with the help of Koseki!

How is “Special” Adoption Different from Regular Adoption

How to adopt in Japan- special and regular adoption!

In all of Japan, the adoption process differs from prefecture to prefecture and even between different cities. But one thing stands — the rules for regular and special adoption. 

Special adoptions are only applicable to children that are below 6 years of age and also are unrelated by blood. Regular adoption, on the other hand, yôshi engumi,  has a peculiar age limit. In order for regular adopt to go through

  • The adoptee must be a blood relative, in other words, a family member.
  • The adoptee should be above 15 years of age.
  • The adoptee must be at least a day younger than the adoptive parents.

If the adoptive family already has biological children, they can only do one regular adoption. However, if they bear no children of their own, they can go ahead and adopt two.

In Japan, the rate of special adoptions is abominably low compared to that of regular adoptions. Regular adoptions are generally done by families looking for an heir or someone to pass on their inheritance to. 

Unsurprisingly, the average adoptive age for regular adoptions is between the ages of 20 to 30.

In any case, if the adoptee, special or regular, goes missing, wants to go back to the biological family, or comes of age, the adoption can be legally dissolved. Of course, this also goes into the koseki

This is how to adopt in Japan through the adoption processes of special and regular kids.

Adopt A Child In Japan: FAQs

Is it hard to adopt a child in Japan?

Yes, it is hard to adopt a child in Japan. The adoption process is long and complex, and there are a limited number of children available for adoption.

In order to adopt a child in Japan, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. These requirements vary depending on the adoption service provider you choose. 

However, some general eligibility requirements include being at least 25 years old, being married, and having a stable income.

The adoption process in Japan can take several years. This is because there is a limited number of children available for adoption in Japan. 

The cost of adoption in Japan can be expensive. The cost of adoption can vary depending on the adoption service provider you choose. 

However, you can expect to pay several thousand dollars for the adoption process.

The adoption process in Japan can be emotionally challenging. This is because you will be dealing with the loss of the child’s birth parents and the uncertainty of the adoption process.

If you are considering adopting a child in Japan, it is important to do your research and understand the process before you begin. 

You should also be prepared for the emotional challenges that may come with the adoption process.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when adopting in Japan:

  • The adoption process in Japan can be long and complex.
  • The cost of adoption in Japan can be expensive.
  • The adoption process in Japan can be emotionally challenging.

If you are considering adopting a child in Japan, it is important to do your research and understand the process before you begin. You should also be prepared for the emotional challenges that may come with the adoption process.

Is child adoption common in Japan?

Adoption in Japan is relatively uncommon due to traditional cultural values emphasizing biological family ties. While attitudes have been changing, the preference for biological children remains. Domestic adoption is more common than international adoption, and the government has taken steps to promote adoption. However, adoption rates are still lower compared to countries with a higher acceptance of adoption.

Can an 18-year-old adopt in Japan?

In Japan, the minimum age requirement to adopt a child is 20 years old. Therefore, an 18-year-old individual would not be eligible to adopt a child according to the legal requirements in Japan. The age requirement is in place to ensure that prospective adoptive parents are mature and capable of fulfilling the responsibilities associated with raising a child.

What is the legal age to adopt in Japan?

The legal age to adopt a child in Japan is 20 years old. Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 20 years of age to meet the legal requirements for adoption. This age requirement ensures that individuals who wish to adopt are considered adults and are deemed capable of assuming the responsibilities associated with raising a child.

How much are adoption fees in Japan?

The cost of adoption in Japan can vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of adoption, the age of the child, and the adoption service provider you choose. However, you can expect to pay several thousand dollars for the adoption process.

Here is a breakdown of the costs associated with adoption in Japan:

  • Adoption agency fees: Adoption agencies typically charge a fee for their services. The fee can vary depending on the agency, but it is typically between $5,000 and $50,000.
  • Home study fees: A home study is a process that assesses your suitability to adopt a child. The home study is typically conducted by a social worker or other qualified professional. The fee for a home study can vary, but it is typically between $1,000 and $3,000.
  • Court fees: The court will charge a fee to finalize the adoption. The fee can vary depending on the court, but it is typically between $500 and $1,000.
  • Other costs: There may be other costs associated with adoption, such as the cost of travel, translation, and legal fees. These costs can vary depending on your individual circumstances.

It is important to note that the cost of adoption is not always covered by insurance. If you are considering adoption, it is important to factor in the cost of the adoption process when making your decision.

Adoption in Japan!

Hope you’re clear on how to adopt in Japan. Wish you all the best and success in adopting a child and raising them to be healthy and happy!

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