Chapter 4
Japan's Diplomacy Open to the Public
4 Implementation Status of the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (The Hague Convention)
The Hague Convention is designed as an international mechanism for addressing disputes arising from the wrongful removal or retention of children across borders in the belief that the interests of children are of paramount importance. It requires cooperation between Contracting States for returning children to their state of habitual residence and establishing opportunities for transboundary parent-child access.
This Convention entered into force for Japan on April 1, 2014, with 103 countries, including Japan, parties to the Convention as of the end of December 2024.
The Convention is implemented through mutual cooperation among the governmental agencies designated as the Central Authority in Contracting States. In Japan, MOFA as the Central Authority avails itself of experts in various fields and provides assistance to both the parent whose child was removed and the parent who removed the child for the resolution of their cases, in communication and cooperation with foreign Central Authorities.
In the ten years and nine months from the entry into force of the Convention until the end of December 2024, MOFA received a total of 613 applications for assistance: 411 applications seeking the return of the child and 202 applications seeking access to the child. Of the cases seeking the return of the child from Japan to another country, children were returned in 75 cases and conclusions were reached not to return the child in 59 cases. Of the cases requesting the return of the child from another country to Japan, children were returned in 76 cases and conclusions were reached not to return the child in 46 cases.
In November 2024, together with the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), MOFA co-hosted the “2024 Webinar on the HCCH 1980 Child Abduction Convention in Asia and the Pacific.” The webinar was organized to strengthen the implementation structure of the Convention in the Contracting States in the Asia-Pacific region, to promote cooperation between Contracting States, and to encourage non-Contracting States to join the Convention.
In order to build awareness of the Hague Convention among a broad public, MOFA holds seminars and contributes articles to relevant local community press targeting Japanese nationals living overseas, while running seminars in Japan for local governments and relevant institutions such as bar associations. MOFA also puts efforts into PR activities by creating awareness-raising videos on the Hague Convention and publishing them on MOFA's website and video-sharing platforms.(4)
(4) See the MOFA website concerning the 1980 Hague Convention and Japan's efforts:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/fp/hr_ha/page22e_000249.html
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you plan to travel abroad? Perhaps it is delicious food or beautiful scenery. People travel abroad for many reasons, such as business trips and study abroad experiences, but the most important premise for spending quality time overseas is not getting involved in dangerous situations. Many terrorist attacks continue to occur worldwide, and Japanese nationals have been harmed in places such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
What specific actions should you take to avoid being involved in a terrorist attack at your travel destination, and how can you minimize the harm if by any chance you encounter one?
First, keep in mind that you are responsible for protecting yourself. Avoid countries, places, and times with unstable security conditions. In addition, exercise heightened caution during religious events and holidays when more people gather and travel, such as Ramadan and Christmas, as well as during election periods. During these times and at these places, it is important to avoid actions that make you stand out, and it is also critical to gather information in advance.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) provides Travel Advice and Warnings, and region-specific information through its overseas travel registration service (Tabi-Regi) and Overseas Safety website. In particular, by registering your travel destination with Tabi-Regi, you can receive the latest safety information about the area by email. Gathering information in advance makes it possible to take specific actions at the appropriate time, such as avoiding dangerous locations, limiting the length of your stay, and refraining from traveling on foot.
In recent years, there have been many cases of terrorist attacks aimed at so-called “soft targets” ─ places with weak security and surveillance, such as shopping malls, public transportation, and event venues. In addition, a growing number of crimes have been perpetrated by lone offenders with little to no clear connection to terrorist organizations. As a result, detecting and preventing terrorist attacks in advance has become even more difficult than before.
So, what should you do if an attack actually occurs near you? The most important thing is to remain calm. If you hear gunfire or explosions, the basic actions are to immediately drop to the ground, run away, or, if you cannot escape, hide. If you are at the scene of an attack, check your surroundings, stay low, and evacuate to a safe place. If possible, use your mobile phone to send messages and request external help. If circumstances allow, also contact the Japanese Embassy or Consulate General. Be sure to anticipate possible risks and mentally prepare for them before traveling abroad so that you can respond appropriately no matter what happens at any time.
Golgo 13's Security Guidelines for Japanese SMEs Abroad
MOFA strives to enhance the knowledge and capabilities of the Japanese people concerning overseas safety measures and crisis management through seminars and training. MOFA has also created a manga safety manual in which Golgo 13 shows safety measures for traveling and/or living overseas, which is available (including video content) on the MOFA website.
To protect yourself abroad, MOFA would like you to make all possible preparations before your trip using the information presented here, with an attitude of “No preparation, No overseas travel.”
The first Japanese passport was issued in 1866, around 160 years ago. It was initially a single sheet of paper, and has changed with the times to improve safety and convenience: In 1926 passports became booklets including a face photo; since 2006, IC chips were embedded in the booklets; and from 2020, the visa pages feature the designs of the “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” by KATSUSHIKA Hokusai. Most recently from March 2025, production of the “2025 Passport” ─ with a polycarbonate face photo page ─ has begun at the National Printing Bureau.
■Securities Production Management Group, Banknote Department, National Printing Bureau
General Manager URAOKA Akihiro
The major change to the 2025 Passport is the base material of the face photo page. Previous passports had paper base material, onto which the prefectural passport offices printed the face photo using a thermal transfer printer. However, passports using paper base material can easily become targets for counterfeiting and alteration, and the international trend is shifting to plastic base materials, which make counterfeiting and alteration more difficult. Considering this trend, Japan has decided to introduce polycarbonate for the face photo page.
Personalization of the 2025 Passports is centralized to just two locations within Japan. The three face photos are each printed with different techniques, two of which use laser engraving technology. When the smallest face photo is tilted, the bearer's date of birth appears, and the third photo is inkjet printed in color on a paper page. A large number of other technologies which are not publicly disclosed also make the new passports more resistant to counterfeiting and alteration.
The design of the 2025 Passports continues to feature the “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” adopted in 2020, with different pictures used on each page. Attention has been paid to the order, with the first page featuring “Koshu Inume-Toge (The Inume Pass in Kai Province),” which evokes setting out on a journey, and the final page using “Fukagawa Mannen-bashi Shita (Under Mannen Bridge in Fukagawa),” an image which symbolizes returning from travels. In addition, the reverse side of the face photo page features an embossed cherry blossom design, which appears to move three-dimensionally when tilted. Additionally, the layout has been carefully designed to make it appear as a single painting surrounded by a frame, with an image of Mount Fuji overlapping the cherry blossom.
Continuing to manufacture booklets with stable quality is another effective route to making them resistant to counterfeiting and alteration, so we have established quality management standards and are conducting rigorous checking. Furthermore, in order to ensure quality and information security, the National Printing Bureau is working to improve risk management knowledge and making efforts to gain ISO accreditation.1 We will continue to strive to maintain the highest international standards in quality and security.
From March 24, 2025, applications for both the first-time and renewal of passports are available online nationwide via MynaPortal. As MynaPortal is now linked to family register information, applicants no longer need to obtain a copy of their family register at a city hall counter, etc.
1 International specifications formulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)