Rally held outside Japan's embassy in U.S. in support of Savoie

Monday 05th October, 07:11 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 99 Total Comments Show All

Cicada at 02:43 PM JST - 8th October

LFRGAgain:

Now, I just want to state in no uncertain terms that if you intend to refute the above information

Why would I want to, as it is all consistent with what I was saying. In fact, your last citation was cited by me as well.

I'm not going to waste any more time with such foolishness.

Apparently you did waste time by trying to refute something that I never argued. I've acknowledged all along that Noriko violated an American court order.

with whom your obsession is bordering dangerously close to unhealthy

Resorting to ad hominem attacks of another poster is, er, healthy? If you cannot understand the basis of my interpretation of Amy's behavior as "horrid", then don't bother responding with irrelevant dribble.
asianyetgaijin at 11:19 AM JST - 9th October

Breaking news:

Japan will sign the Hague convention then recognize the joint custody/visitation right for fathers/mothers who want to be involve in their kids life. And because of this, Chris can not force Noriko to go back to the US against her will, Noriko gets the prime custody in Japan, but at the same time, Japanese law guarantee Chris's right to see his kids regularly and be involve in their life.

oh wait, I am daydreaming...
fishy at 02:01 PM JST - 9th October

asianyetgaijin!!! Gosh, my heart stopped for a moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
asianyetgaijin at 02:13 PM JST - 9th October

fishy, sorry, didn't mean to raise false hope, I was just pointing out that this whole mess can be fixed with a (maybe not-so but certainly doable) solution.
asianyetgaijin at 02:18 PM JST - 9th October

I meant not-so-simple but certainly doable
fishy at 02:37 PM JST - 9th October

that's okay, asianyetgaijin :) but seriously, i jumped when i read the first sentense of your comment!
DwightVanWinkle at 07:59 PM JST - 9th October

Here's my daydream - Tennessee and U.S. drop charges against Noriko, she has assurance that U.S. will enforce her Japanese child custody order, she takes kids to America and leaves them with Chris for the summer, or goes to live in near Chris in U.S. so kids can be educated there.
Cicada at 08:49 PM JST - 9th October

You guys have better daydreams than I do. Mine is that Chris is locked up for a long time in a Japanese jail, but Noriko visits him with her kids twice a month. And so does Amy and her kids -- on alternate weeks.

This way, Chris pays for his crime, but sees all of his kids. The two women never run into each other, and all of them can write books about jail and divorce.
amerijap at 08:48 AM JST - 10th October

Participants at the rally called on Japan to sign the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which aims to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed to or detained in signatory countries.

I think this is the possible outcome from a lesson we learn from this case. It just can't be right for Chris, Noriko, their kids, and each of their families and relatives. And, the things won't be working well for those who are facing a similar family/marriage crisis like them.
igotchu at 06:13 PM JST - 11th October

Cicada in Japan you have no respect for the role of step-parents in a child's life, you only believe that primary care for the children is strictly mandated to one family, that is the one with custody of the child. Why don't you just say that instead of criticizing Amy Savoie? Some of you here don't wanna say it outright, but you sound as if Noriko had a problem with Amy taking on the role of mother to her children in her absence. Lets be real, this is a difference in family values between Japan and the U.S.. Why should we in the US sacrifice our customs for yours, and why should Chris be denied access to his children because he remarried? Simply because Noriko has a problem with it? I say, hell no. No way can we sacrifice our customs for yours. Noriko, and all of you in Japan has to realize that step-parents are going to play a role in the children's life if your ex-spouse remarries and there isn't a dam thing you can do about it!!

Step-parents don't try to takeover the role of the biological parent by spoiling the kids minds against their biological mother or father. In fact most step-parents will tell children at the right time they are not trying to take the place of their mother or father. The relationship is built on friendship, trust, and respect. Step-parents tend to reinforce on the child the values instilled upon them by the biological parent. Its uncommon for a step-parent to demean the biological parent in the presence of the child in order to win their trust. If these things were to happen in the US the biological parent would simply file a complaint to the courts or counselors involved and it would end or the non-custodial parent's access would be denied. Most of the time its an issue between the two adults and as time passes the tension swells down. Some even become friends and the child now has two people they can depend on when they are at stages of their life when they need help.

There is a balance that can be struck here, but you guys (Japanese) need to stop being so protective of the children's Japanese identity. You are denying the children the right to the other half of their heritage.
Cicada at 06:42 PM JST - 11th October

igotchu:

I recommend you read carefully all of the statements made by Amy to the American media, bearing in mind that Chris had not been granted anything more than 2 weekends per month partial custody.

Under those circumstances, Amy's 3 children do not become "siblings" by any reasoning. Yet Amy consistently portrayed the situation as if she and Chris were given primary custody. This matches perfectly Noriko's complaint that she was treated like a "baby-sitter", despite being the primary care-giver.

Noriko was forced to retrieve the 2 children from Amy, and had to endure visits by Amy to her home. That alone shows the gross insensitivity and abusive tendency of Chris and Amy. Common sense would tell him to pick up the children himself, and then bring back the children himself. It was deliberate harassment of Noriko, and the vast majority of people see that at once.

In addition, consider that during this time, Chris repeatedly appealed to the court (unsuccessfully) in an attempt to take away primary custody from Noriko.

There is a balance that can be struck here

The American court gave primary custody to Noriko, but Chris and Amy were not satisfied with this "balance".

From Noriko's standpoint, it looks like Chris and Amy are attempting to take the children from her, and eliminate her from the children's lives. Although the court had rebuffed Chris's attempts, it had to look as though he might succeed at some point.

Finally, you overlook that Noriko never refused Chris visitation, even after she went back to Japan. Even then, she allowed the children to speak with Chris on the phone, and she herself conversed with Amy on the phone.

Amy recorded those conversations (along with all other phone conversations) and fed the media selected snippets to make Chris look good and to make Noriko look bad. Amazingly, Amy even forgot herself and claimed to one reporter that Noriko did not allow phone calls! But in the recorded conversation with Amy, Noriko merely states that she wants to live in Japan, and that the children also wanted to return to Japan.

None of this has anything to do with cultural difference between Japan and America. Again, read up on Amy's comments to the American media, and notice that the American response to Amy is overwhelmingly negative.
igotchu at 07:46 PM JST - 11th October

Cicada, don't twist the facts. There is nothing in the court documents, which are easily accessible on the web, that shows Chris tried to take primary custody away from Noriko. He tried to stop her from taking the children to Japan where he knew he would have no guaranteed rights of access. Thats the issue, its the rights of guaranteed access!! How can Noriko be trusted when she sat in the judges face and lied under oath several times and when asked did she want live in Japan with her children she said no. Even one of the counselors said she thought Noriko was planning to take the children back to Japan. If she didn't want to stay in the US with the kids all she had to do was say so, something could have been arranged in the US , rather than coming here where she knows Chris isn't going to get access if she doesn't want him to have it. It seems to me her move here is more about punishing Chris and the fact that she couldn't adjust to American customs. In her own words she says she can't take watching her children loose their Japanese identity. If thats not a cultural issue then what is? If she was so willing to grant Chris visitation rights here in Japan, why would she agree to relocate to the US for the divorce? You guys talk about the mental pressure Chris was holding over her, but look at the pressure she had on him. The emails show that she was threatening to take the children away and deny him access. Really its a waste of my time to debate with you because we stand on two opposite ends of the spectrum and I don't see myself moving towards your twisted logic at all.
Cicada at 09:21 PM JST - 11th October

igotchu:

she couldn't adjust to American customs.

It is not an American custom for a homewrecker whose new husband has partial custody (2 weekends a month) to be visiting the home of the ex-wife, constantly emailing and texting her, etc. That's harassment by any standard and Chris encouraged it.

There is nothing in the court documents, which are easily accessible on the web, that shows Chris tried to take primary custody away from Noriko.

Yes, there is. In May Noriko had to counter Chris's claims that she was unfit for primary custody, and she did so successfully. That was the 2nd appeal (at least) by Chris to the court after the divorce, the 1st using the pretext of Japanese law, which was rejected as well.

He tried to stop her from taking the children to Japan

He argued that this possibility was a reason he should get primary custody, but the court rejected it.

If she was so willing to grant Chris visitation rights here in Japan, why would she agree to relocate to the US for the divorce?

She certainly did not agree to relocate there so she could live near Chris's new wife and be harassed by her. Even though Chris knew he would be re-marrying, he never mentioned it. I guess that slipped his mind.

she can't take watching her children loose their Japanese identity.

You keep referring to one lousy email, that the judge rejected as a basis for changing custody arrangement. Everyone has feelings like that sometimes. Moreover, you have no idea to what kind of verbal barrage Noriko was responding to.

Let's see all of Amy's emails and hear all of her phone calls She was busy recording calls to Noriko, which was illegal in America, incidentally, and she turned some of these over to the media. She also freely gave the media photos of the 2 children, which endangers them, and is illegal in Japan to do that.

Really its a waste of my time to debate with you because we stand on two opposite ends of the spectrum and I don't see myself moving towards your twisted logic at all.

You stand at the opposite end from common sense, and your view is held by a tiny minority, even in America.
igotchu at 05:48 AM JST - 12th October
1. You say Amy was a homewrecker who harassed Noriko, I say a stepmother and Noriko was insecure about that.
2. You say Chris fought to get primary custody, I say he fought to keep a restraining order in place to prevent her from kidnapping the kids and coming to Japan where he knew he had no rights of access.
3. You say she didn't relocate there to be near Chris' new wife, I say she did agree to relocate and Chris has the right to remarry whether she likes it or not.
4. You say one lousy e-mail, I say a major point that shows her true intentions.
5. You say her feelings were natural about the children loosing their Japanese identity, I say stupidity and fear.
6. You think Noriko's reaction was natural, I think Chris' reaction was natural.
7. You say a tiny minority agrees with my view, I say the majority, even most of the world, believes Japanese Customs and Family Laws are wrong and the cause of the problem.
Now that she is here in Japan and the Japanese courts are going to steal jurisdiction the bottom line is will they grant him visitation rights?
Cicada at 08:25 PM JST - 12th October

igotchu:

the bottom line is will they grant him visitation rights?

The bottom line is will Amy visit him in jail with her 3 kids, or will she be busy with some other married man?

So far, Amy has been energetic with her tough talk about how she wanted to "blend" all the children together and how the ex-wife was "uncooperative and uncongenial".

I'd like to see how Amy's talk turns to action when Chris in sentenced to several years in prison. Is she going to bring her 3 kids to be with Chris as often as possible, or is she going to be busy trying to shack up with another married man? Only time will tell.