ABSTRACT
In Tokyo, in Okinawa and in other more cosmopolitan areas of Japan it is not unusual for children in need of adoption to be classified as foreign. There are also mixed-background children who, although they are classified as Japanese, look foreign. The general unwillingness of Japanese couples to adopt foreign children makes placement for these children problematic. In response, some CGCs, including ones in and around Tokyo, have sought to make placements with foreign residents and mixed couples. They have also referred mixed and minority children to organizations like ISSJ that make placements with foreign residents and abroad.35 In this chapter we consider some of the reasons why it is difficult to place mixed or minority children with Japanese couples, look at the experiences of western couples who have adopted mixed background children, and consider the implications of the international debate over transethnic adoption in the Japanese context.
