The Tokyo Family Court ruled Thursday that a Japanese woman who ran off with her children and refused to let her French husband see them has the rights to their custody, in a dispute which led French authorities to issue an international arrest warrant for the woman last year.

Though similar disputes involving Japanese married to foreign nationals are not rare, the issue drew public attention after the French man Vincent Fichot staged a hunger strike near the National Stadium ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to raise awareness of his situation.

In the suit, filed by his Japanese wife, the court also granted her divorce from Fichot. Fichot's lawyer said he will appeal the ruling.

Presiding Judge Yasushi Ogawara said, however, the woman should let Fichot see their two children and asked the couple to discuss what is best for the children. ...continue reading