One of the most enduring images of Japan is that a male dominated country in which women, who are just one small step above servants, can be thrown into the street without any means of support. As anyone who is married to a Japanese woman knows, the sisters here definitely are doing it for themselves, and in some cases it seems as if the legal deck in Japan may be stacked in their favor.

One such law stipulates that the husband must pay child support to any child born of their ex-wives, unless they are able to prove they are not the father.

Article 772 of the Civil Code stipulates that a baby born within 300 days of its parents’ divorce is recognized as the child of the ex-husband. To register a child in the family registry of a new husband, the ex-husband must testify in court that he has no parental relation to the child.

Recently there was a news report about a man who received a summons to appear before the court when his wife gave birth to a child 231 days after they were divorced. He was forced to submit to an interrogation about the details of his relationship with his ex, including their sex life. The many commented that he felt like he was being treated like a criminal.

Of course, the case will ultimately be decided based on DNA text results, but still the legal proceedings have cost him dearly both in time and cash.