Japan Officially Endorses International Kidnapping

After two weeks behind bars, Japan released the American father who came to Japan to re-kidnap his children after they were initially kidnapped in America by his Japanese wife and brought to Japan. Christopher Savoie had no choice but to attempt to snatch his children back because by Japanese law divorced husbands are never given even joint custody of their children, and in fact, most fathers are not able to see their children again until they are adults (20 years old in Japan).  Savoie's wife knew that if she could sneak her kids back to Japan, she would be protected from those pesky egalitarian American laws which require joint custody and outlaw kidnapping.  Savoie is getting support from an unlikely source: Japanese fathers who want more visitation rights. These fathers welcome all the attention the case has garnered and hope that it leads to a change in child custodial policy.  Ambassadors from the U.S. and seven other countries have also chimed-in to encourage Japan to modernize its laws governing custody. But, as is the case with most Japanese laws, they are older than dirt and nobody wants to take responsibility for making any changes.

Thinking Outside the Bun in Tokyo

Went to a burger joint in Kichijoji called Village Vanguard for lunch today. Since I don't eat beef, but I was in the mood for a sandwich, I asked if they could take the herb chicken that was on the menu and just put it on bread for me, and add a little cheese and onion (there was no "chicken sandwich" on the menu, just beefy all beef-beef burgers). Since this is Japan, and nothing out of the ordinary is ever tolerated, let alone requested, three wait staff and two cooks spent 10 minutes discussing the feasibility of my request (which entailed taking a few items already on the menu, and using them to create something slightly different). In the end they took a chance and I ended up with one of the tastiest sandwiches I have had in my life.  This is progress I think. 10 years ago they would have just made that familiar sucking sound through their teeth, tilted their heads and said: "chyotto...."

Picture via "bantus"