Adoption Agencies in Japan

Prospective adoptive parents may find children available for adoption in Japan either through the Japanese Family Court and the Child Guidance Center (often located in the City or Ward Office) or through private parties such as missionaries, social welfare organizations, or adoption agencies..

All adoption agencies in Japan are privately operated. If contemplating adoption in Japan you may also wish to consider the services of a Japanese attorney. While an attorney can be of assistance in guiding you through the Japanese adoption process, you are not required to retain one and many parents successfully adopt children in Japan without their services.

Before you begin your search for a child you may wish to consult the State Department's Information Sheet on International Adoption in Japan. This site provides you with excellent background on adoption laws and procedures in Japan as well as immigration requirements for bringing your new child back to the U.S. with you (see below).

DISCLAIMER: The U.S. Government assumes no responsibility for the professional ability or reputation of the persons or practices whose names appear on the following list.

Across the World Adoption
Across the World Adoption
"Across JAPAN" Office:
#403, C-19-2 Shimana Gaiku, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 300-2655
(Ms. Tazuru OGAWA, Director of Across Japan)
babyadopt@gmail.com

U.S. Office:
395 Taylor Blvd, Suite 116
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Tel: (U.S.) (+1) 925-356-6260
Fax: (U.S.) (+1) 925-827-9396

Ai No Kesshin
2-13-7 Karase, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 420-0937
Tel: (+81) 05-4247-9411
rtgordon@tokai.or.jp
(Ms. Sarah GORDON)

Association for Baby Life Support
Counseling office:
c/o Ms. Utako KIKUCHI
#208, 4-8 Minami-kashiwa 1-chome, Kashiwa-shi
Chiba-ken 277-0855
Tel: (+81) 04-7145-6580
Fax: (+81) 04-7148-3597
http://www.ac.auone-net.jp/~akachan/home.html

International Social Service Japan (ISSJ)
Ochanomizu K & K Building 3F,
1-10-2 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0034
Tel: 03-5840-5711
Fax: 03-3868-0415
issj@issj.org
(Ms. Kuniko OMORI - General Director)

Attention U.S. citizens who are adopting children!
The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions went into effect in the U.S. in April 2008. Japan is not a Hague country, but U.S. citizens who are adopting children from Hague countries (including China and the Philippines) need a child abuse registry check from every country where they have been resident. So if you are living in Japan or used to live in Japan, you may be asked during the adoption process to get a child abuse registry check from Japan. However, Japan does not have such a registry. This is what you need to tell the person who asks you to get one.

For more information on adoptions, please visit the State Department website at http://adoption.state.gov/.

Immigration Requirements for Adopted Children

A Japanese child adopted by an American citizen must obtain an immigrant visa before he or she can enter the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident. The type of Immigrant Visa the child should obtain will depend on many factors including, but not limited to, the circumstances of the adoption and whether the child will be "officially" adopted in Japan before immigrating or in the U.S. after arrival.

The first step in the adoption process, even before you have located a child, is to file the I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS) office having jurisdiction over your place of residence. Once a parent has an approved I-600A, he or she may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to begin processing the Immigrant Visa. Learn how.

For more information on International Adoption, please visit the State Department website at http://adoption.state.gov/.

The Embassy's Immigrant Visas web pages provide information on obtaining an Immigrant Visa for your new child at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or our Consulate in Naha.