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“IN APPROPRIATE” A novel of culture, kidnapping, and revenge in modern Japan By ARUDOU Debito FCCJ Book Break June 28, 2011 3

Other books by ARUDOU Debito www. debito. org ISBN 4 7503 9018 6 English version, Japanese version ISBN 4 7503 9001 9 4

Other books by ARUDOU Debito www. debito. org English and Japanese ISBN 4 7503 2741 9 www. debito. org/inappropriate. html 5

What’s the book about? u. Gary Schmidt, a small-town American boy, meets a Japanese girl in college and follows her to Japan to start a family. Little does he know that her conservative Japanese clan has hidden agendas and secret intentions. Gary eventually realizes that he must escape their clutches – and convince his family to do the same before it's too late! 6

What’s the book about? u. IN APPROPRIATE is a book about child abductions in Japan, where after a divorce, a non-Japanese man comes back to Japan to retrieve his children back to America. Although a work of fiction, it is an amalgam of several true stories of divorce and Left. Behind Parents in Japan. u. Referential website: Children’s Rights Network at www. crnjapan. net 7

What’s the book about? u. IN APPROPRIATE is about more than just divorce: I wanted to describe how a person would find fascination in Japan and Japanese people, come over during Japan's Bubble Era to see Japan ripe with opportunity, and find how Japan went sour as an economy over the past two decades. 8

What’s the book about? u. IN APPROPRIATE was a wonderful story to recount as a Bubble-Era veteran -- when in the late 1980's Japan even looked poised to take over the world, challenging notions of how capitalism works -- and see how, stepby-step, Japanese society would be squeezed and squeezed, convinced that recovery was right around the corner just like Godot. 9

What’s the book about? u. IN APPROPRIATE tells the story of a person could assimilate himself to the point of founding his own company, becoming bilingual in Japanese, even taking Japanese citizenship, yet be blindsided by events that were nearly always beyond his control. It is also a time capsule charting Japan's descent into mediocrity and comparative international irrelevance. 10

Some words of praise u IN APPROPRIATE is a work of fiction, full of fact. . . I read the book twice; once to check the facts and once to feel the emotions. There is no other way to describe this but say that on both fronts, the book hits home. Many people reading this will not believe it, but as somebody that has “been there and done that” I can honestly say this is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. -- John Evans, Left Behind Parent (Linkedin recommendation). u Books on Japan can be a real chore to get through, but Debito writes fluidly and smoothly… IN APPROPRIATE is a well-constructed story which highlights a number of important issues regarding the rights of Non-Japanese in Japan, with more than a few pointers for anyone considering setting up here. Thankfully, my experience with Japan is very different to that described in the novel, and I don't think the book is intended in any way to represent a "typical" experience. But it graphically brings home what can happen if things don't work out. Recommended. -- Steve King, Editor, formerly of Pearson Ed. 11

Some words of praise u ARUDOU Debito's depiction of how quickly life gets turned upside down by the crazy family rules in Japan will do more than just grab your attention. It will make you cry at the strange and deplorable tale of love lost in Japan. IN APPROPRIATE sheds necessary light on the twisted norms and laws in Japan that not only allow, but also encourage parents to abduct their children from one another. A mustread primer on the issue. -- Eric Kalmus, webmaster, Children's Rights Network Japan (www. crnjapan. net), Left-Behind Parent. u I found IN APPROPRIATE difficult to put down – surely the best compliment for any book – and, if anything, it was over too soon. A book that needed to be written about an important, still unresolved issue every parent in Japan should be aware of. – Ben Stubbings, Editor, The Japan Times (Linkedin recommendation in lieu of an official review at the newspaper) More info and reviews at www. debito. org/inappropriate. html 12

The issue of child abductions u. Japan’s divorce laws remain fundamentally unaltered since 1898. u. Japan’s Family Registry System does not allow for joint custody after divorce. u. Japan has unenforceable visitation rights even if granted by Family Court. u. This happens regardless of nationality in Japan. 13

The issue of child abductions u. But NJ are particularly disadvantaged, as they have no Family Registry in Japan, have visa issues, and often have intercontinental custody problems. u. Hence who dares wins: Cases of abductions to Japan from abroad (e. g. , Murray Wood Case) upheld in Japanese Family Court despite NJ custody granted by courts overseas. 14

The issue of child abductions “The [U. S. State] Department has observed, however, that foreign parents are greatly disadvantaged in Japanese courts, both in terms of obtaining the return of children to the United States and in achieving enforceable visitation rights in Japan. The Department of State is not aware of any case in which a child taken from the United States by one parent has been ordered returned to the United States by Japanese courts, even when the leftbehind parent has a U. S. custody decree. ” (1/2011) Source: http: //travel. state. gov/abduction/country_501. html 15

The issue of child abductions u In sum, one parent after divorce in Japan is generally expected to disappear. Parental Alienation Syndrome is the norm, will continue as such. u Japan will eventually sign the Hague Treaty on Child Abductions, but I anticipate it will exceptionalize itself out of enforcement. u Ex. : Domestic debate on DV is making even acts of non-violence into violence, disadvantaging fathers in negotiation (cf. NPO Saya-saya, debito. org/? p=9099) and loopholing Japan out of the Hague. 16

DV, as defined on NPO saya. net human rights website Checklist for women include u I always try to wear clothes that u u u he likes. When I go out alone, he calls my cell phone regularly. He is reluctant to associate with my friends and parents. He is angry if I come home late. He sulks if I deviate in any way from what he requested of me. I am relieved when he is not around. Etc. Checklist for men includes u I have yelled at her. u I wish that she would only have u u eyes for me. I may have silently stared at her. She has thought that I made fun of her. Sometimes I don’t answer her when she wants to talk to me. I have felt that she is a nag (kuchi urusai). Etc. Source: Dr. Numazaki Ichirou, “Why Do Men Choose Violence? ” According to Professor Numazaki, the producer of this list, a check mark next to even ONE item indicates a DV event. (For women who checked off one item, they have been a victim of DV and, for men, any checks indicate that man was a perpetrator of DV. ) www. debito. org/? p=9099 17

Harsh Conclusions: I cannot recommend anyone (regardless of nationality) marry under this system and have children. The risk of loss and alienation is too great. 18

This is how I remember my kids. I haven’t been able to see much of them since 2003. 19

In sum, IN APPROPRIATE is a novel about a very serious subject Cases of divorce anywhere are complicated, but I wanted to demonstrate how the current system in Japan encourages child abduction both as a means of revenge and as an act of desperation. Everything in the book is based upon actual events. 20

IN APPROPRIATE is my first work of fiction. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I have three more novels currently in my head. I hope to release about one per year. If you like this new direction (I one day hope to make a living from writing full-time), please consider reading and supporting both me and Debito. org in the future. 21