This article explores the laws surrounding divorce in Japan, including how custody decisions are made and what role the family court system plays. It covers topics such as no-fault and fault-based divorces, legal joint custody of children after a divorce, visitation rights, factors influencing child custody decisions, child support payments, mediation services for divorcing parents and more. Taking advantage of mediation services can help couples come up with mutually beneficial solutions without resorting to costly legal proceedings which could further complicate matters.