Subsection 4 Dissolution of Adoptive Relationships
第四款 離縁
Article 811Dissolution of Adoptive Relationship by Agreement
第八百十一条（協議上の離縁等）
Parties to an adoption may agree to dissolve the adoptive relationship.
縁組の当事者は、その協議で、離縁をすることができる。
If an adopted child is under 15 years of age, the adoptive parent or parents and the person or persons that are to become the legal representatives of the child after the dissolution of the adoptive relationship may agree to dissolve the adoptive relationship.
養子が十五歳未満であるときは、その離縁は、養親と養子の離縁後にその法定代理人となるべき者との協議でこれをする。
In a case as referred to in the preceding paragraph, if the parents of the adopted child are divorced, they must reach an agreement in which they decide that both of them or one of them is to be the person with parental authority with respect to the child after the dissolution of the adoptive relationship.
前項の場合において、養子の父母が離婚しているときは、その協議で、その双方又は一方を養子の離縁後にその親権者となるべき者と定めなければならない。
If the agreement referred to in the preceding paragraph is not reached or if discussions toward such an agreement cannot be held, the family court may issue a ruling to stand in place of that agreement, at the request of the father or mother referred to in that paragraph or at the request of an adoptive parent. In this case, the provisions of Article 819, paragraph (7) apply mutatis mutandis.
If there is no person to become the legal representative as referred to in paragraph (2), at the request of a relative of the adopted child or any other interested party, the family court may appoint a person to become the guardian of the minor after the dissolution of the adopted child's adoptive relationship.
第二項の法定代理人となるべき者がないときは、家庭裁判所は、養子の親族その他の利害関係人の請求によって、養子の離縁後にその未成年後見人となるべき者を選任する。
If one of the parties to an adoption dies and a surviving party seeks to dissolve the adoptive relationship, that party may do so with the permission of the family court.
縁組の当事者の一方が死亡した後に生存当事者が離縁をしようとするときは、家庭裁判所の許可を得て、これをすることができる。
Article 811-2Dissolution of Adoptive Relationship between a Married Couple and a Minor
第八百十一条の二（夫婦である養親と未成年者との離縁）
In order for adoptive parents who are married to each other to dissolve their adoptive relationship with a minor, they must do so jointly; provided, however, that this does not apply if one party to the marriage is incapable of manifesting an intention.
養親が夫婦である場合において未成年者と離縁をするには、夫婦が共にしなければならない。ただし、夫婦の一方がその意思を表示することができないときは、この限りでない。
Article 812Mutatis Mutandis Application of Marriage Provisions
第八百十二条（婚姻の規定の準用）
The provisions of Article 738, Article 739, and Article 747 apply mutatis mutandis to the dissolution of an adoptive relationship. In this case, the term "three months" in Article 747, paragraph (2) is deemed to be replaced with "six months".
It is not permissible to accept an application to register the dissolution of an adoptive relationship until the dissolution thereof has been found not to violate any of the provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 739 as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the preceding Article, Article 811, Article 811-2, or the provisions of any other law or regulation.
離縁の届出は、その離縁が前条において準用する第七百三十九条第二項の規定並びに第八百十一条及び第八百十一条の二の規定その他の法令の規定に違反しないことを認めた後でなければ、受理することができない。
Even if an application to register the dissolution of an adoptive relation is accepted in violation of the provisions of the preceding paragraph, this does not impair the validity of the dissolution.
離縁の届出が前項の規定に違反して受理されたときであっても、離縁は、そのためにその効力を妨げられない。
A party to an adoption may independently initiate proceedings to dissolve the adoptive relationship only in one of the following cases:
縁組の当事者の一方は、次に掲げる場合に限り、離縁の訴えを提起することができる。
if the party has been willfully abandoned by the other party;
他の一方から悪意で遺棄されたとき。
if it has been unclear whether the other party is dead or alive for three years or more; or
他の一方の生死が三年以上明らかでないとき。
if there are any other material grounds that make it difficult for the adoptive relationship to continue.
その他縁組を継続し難い重大な事由があるとき。
The provisions of Article 770, paragraph (2) apply mutatis mutandis to a case as set forth in item (i) or item (ii) of the preceding paragraph.
第八百十五条（養子が十五歳未満である場合の離縁の訴えの当事者）
If an adopted child has not attained the age of 15, an action to dissolve the adoptive relationship may be initiated by or against a person who may reach an agreement with the adoptive parent or parents to dissolve the adoptive relationship pursuant to the provisions of Article 811.
養子が十五歳に達しない間は、第八百十一条の規定により養親と離縁の協議をすることができる者から、又はこれに対して、離縁の訴えを提起することができる。
An adopted child reverts to the surname used before the adoption upon dissolution of the adoptive relationship; provided, however, that this does not apply in the event of a dissolution of the adoptive relationship between the adopted child and only one of the adoptive parents that adopted that child together with the spouse.
養子は、離縁によって縁組前の氏に復する。ただし、配偶者とともに養子をした養親の一方のみと離縁をした場合は、この限りでない。
A person who has reverted to the surname used before adoption pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph and who has done so after seven years have passed since the date of the adoption may take the surname used at the time of the dissolution of the adoptive relationship by filing a registration pursuant to the provisions of the Family Register Act within three months of the date of its dissolution.
第八百十七条（離縁による復氏の際の権利の承継）
The provisions of Article 769 apply mutatis mutandis to the dissolution of adoptive relationships.
第七百六十九条の規定は、離縁について準用する。
Subsection 5 Special Adoptions
第五款 特別養子
Article 817-2Entering into a Special Adoption
第八百十七条の二（特別養子縁組の成立）
At the request of a person becoming an adoptive parent, the family court may allow an adoption to be entered into which extinguishes the kinship between the child and the natural relatives thereof (referred to hereinafter in this subsection as a "special adoption") if the requirements prescribed in the following Article through Article 817-7 are met.
家庭裁判所は、次条から第八百十七条の七までに定める要件があるときは、養親となる者の請求により、実方の血族との親族関係が終了する縁組（以下この款において「特別養子縁組」という。）を成立させることができる。
The permission referred to in Article 794 and Article 798 is not required in order for a person to make the request referred to in the provisions of the preceding paragraph.
Article 817-3Joint Adoption by a Married Couple
第八百十七条の三（養親の夫婦共同縁組）
The person becoming an adoptive parent must have a spouse.
養親となる者は、配偶者のある者でなければならない。
One party to a marriage may not become an adoptive parent unless the other party to the marriage also becomes an adoptive parent; provided, however, that this does not apply if one party to a marriage becomes the adoptive parent of the child in wedlock of the other party to the marriage (but not of a child adopted other than through a special adoption).
夫婦の一方は、他の一方が養親とならないときは、養親となることができない。ただし、夫婦の一方が他の一方の嫡出である子（特別養子縁組以外の縁組による養子を除く。）の養親となる場合は、この限りでない。
Article 817-4Age of Persons Becoming Adoptive Parents
第八百十七条の四（養親となる者の年齢）
A person who has not attained 25 years of age may not become an adoptive parent; provided, however, that even if, in a married couple becoming adoptive parents, one of the parties to the marriage has not attained 25 years of age, so long as that party has attained 20 years of age, this does not apply.
二十五歳に達しない者は、養親となることができない。ただし、養親となる夫婦の一方が二十五歳に達していない場合においても、その者が二十歳に達しているときは、この限りでない。
Article 817-5Age of Persons Being Adopted
第八百十七条の五（養子となる者の年齢）
A person who has attained 15 years of age at the time of the request prescribed in Article 817-2 may not be adopted. The same applies to a person who has attained 18 years of age before the special adoption is formed.
The provisions of the first sentence of the preceding paragraph do not apply if the person to be adopted has been continuously in the custody of the person to become the adoptive parent since before reaching 15 years of age and there are unavoidable reasons why the request prescribed in Article 817-2 was not made by the time the person reached 15 years of age.
If the person to be adopted has attained 15 years of age, the consent of that person is required for entering into a special adoption.
養子となる者が十五歳に達している場合においては、特別養子縁組の成立には、その者の同意がなければならない。
第八百十七条の六（父母の同意）
In order for a special adoption to be entered into, both parents of the person being adopted must consent to the special adoption; provided, however, that this does not apply if the parents are incapable of manifesting an intention, nor does it apply in a case of abuse or willful abandonment by the parents of the person being adopted or if the parents have otherwise been the cause of grave harm to the interests of the person being adopted.
特別養子縁組の成立には、養子となる者の父母の同意がなければならない。ただし、父母がその意思を表示することができない場合又は父母による虐待、悪意の遺棄その他養子となる者の利益を著しく害する事由がある場合は、この限りでない。
Article 817-7Particular Necessity in the Interests of the Child
第八百十七条の七（子の利益のための特別の必要性）
A special adoption is only to be allowed if it is exceedingly difficult or inappropriate for the parents of the person being adopted to care for the child or any other special circumstances exist, and the special adoption is found to be particularly necessary in the interests of the child.
特別養子縁組は、父母による養子となる者の監護が著しく困難又は不適当であることその他特別の事情がある場合において、子の利益のため特に必要があると認めるときに、これを成立させるものとする。
Article 817-8The Care Situation
第八百十七条の八（監護の状況）
The state of affairs after not less than six months of the persons becoming the adoptive parents caring for the person being adopted must be taken into consideration before a special adoption is allowed to be entered into.
特別養子縁組を成立させるには、養親となる者が養子となる者を六箇月以上の期間監護した状況を考慮しなければならない。
The period referred to in the preceding paragraph is calculated beginning from the time of the request provided for in Article 817-2;provided, however, that this does not apply if the care situation is evident prior to the request.
Article 817-9Extinguishment of Kinship with the Natural Relatives
第八百十七条の九（実方との親族関係の終了）
The kinship between an adopted child and the natural parents and blood relatives thereof is extinguished by a special adoption; provided, however, that this does not apply to the kinship with the other spouse provided for in the proviso to Article 817-3, paragraph (2) and the blood relatives thereof.
養子と実方の父母及びその血族との親族関係は、特別養子縁組によって終了する。ただし、第八百十七条の三第二項ただし書に規定する他の一方及びその血族との親族関係については、この限りでない。
Article 817-10Dissolution of a Special Adoption
第八百十七条の十（特別養子縁組の離縁）
At the request of the adopted child, the natural parents thereof, or the public prosecutor, the family court may dissolve the adoptive relationship among the parties to a special adoption in a case that falls under both of the following items, if the court finds there to be a particular need to do so in the interests of the adopted child:
次の各号のいずれにも該当する場合において、養子の利益のため特に必要があると認めるときは、家庭裁判所は、養子、実父母又は検察官の請求により、特別養子縁組の当事者を離縁させることができる。
there has been abuse or willful abandonment by the adoptive parents, or the adoptive parents have otherwise been the cause of grave harm to the interests of the adopted child;
養親による虐待、悪意の遺棄その他養子の利益を著しく害する事由があること。
the natural parents are capable of providing reasonable care for the child.
実父母が相当の監護をすることができること。
The dissolution of a special adoption may not be effected other than in a case under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.
離縁は、前項の規定による場合のほか、これをすることができない。
第八百十七条の十一（離縁による実方との親族関係の回復）
The same kinship that was extinguished by the special adoption arises between the adopted child and the natural parents and blood relatives thereof from the date of the dissolution of the adoptive relationship.
養子と実父母及びその血族との間においては、離縁の日から、特別養子縁組によって終了した親族関係と同一の親族関係を生ずる。
Section 3 Responsibilities of Parents, etc.
第三節 親の責務等
Article 817-12Responsibilities of Parents, etc.
第八百十七条の十二（親の責務等）
Parents must, in order to ensure the sound mental and physical development of the child, respect the child's personality and raise the child with consideration for the child's age and degree of development, and must also support the child so that the child can maintain a standard of living equivalent to their own.
父母は、子の心身の健全な発達を図るため、その子の人格を尊重するとともに、その子の年齢及び発達の程度に配慮してその子を養育しなければならず、かつ、その子が自己と同程度の生活を維持することができるよう扶養しなければならない。
Regardless of whether or not they are in a marital relationship, parents must respect each other's personality and cooperate with each other, in the interests of the child, with regard to the exercise of rights or performance of duties concerning the child.
父母は、婚姻関係の有無にかかわらず、子に関する権利の行使又は義務の履行に関し、その子の利益のため、互いに人格を尊重し協力しなければならない。
Article 817-13Contact between Parent and Child, etc.
第八百十七条の十三（親子の交流等）
In addition to the cases of Article 766 (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Articles 749, 771 and 788), matters necessary for contact between a child and the father or mother or other relatives living apart from the child are determined by agreement of the parents. In this case, the interests of the child must be given the highest priority in the consideration.
If the agreement referred to in the preceding paragraph is not reached or if discussions toward such an agreement cannot be held, the family court determines the matters referred to in that paragraph at the request of the father or mother.
If the family court finds it necessary, it may, at the request of the father or mother, change a determination under the preceding two paragraphs.
家庭裁判所は、必要があると認めるときは、父又は母の請求により、前二項の規定による定めを変更することができる。
The family court that has received a request under the preceding two paragraphs may determine that contact between a relative other than the parents and the child is to take place, only if it finds it particularly necessary for the interests of the child.
前二項の請求を受けた家庭裁判所は、子の利益のため特に必要があると認めるときに限り、父母以外の親族と子との交流を実施する旨を定めることができる。
A request for a ruling under paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) regarding the determination referred to in the preceding paragraph may also be made by a relative of the child other than the parents (in the case of persons other than the child's lineal ascendants and siblings, limited to those who have previously had custody of the child); provided, however, that this does not apply if there is another appropriate method for making a determination on contact between that relative and the child.