Japan: Legal and personal implications of infidelity and divorce

Legal and personal perspectives on infidelity and divorce in Japan are highlighted through recent anecdotal and professional advice. One personal account describes a woman who, after being abandoned by a partner for his pregnant wife, sent evidence of the affair to the wife via LINE. This action reportedly led the wife to demand a divorce from the husband.

In a legal context, attorney Tomohide Rizaki explains that while LINE messages and photos of a spouse with another person can serve as evidence for alimony or divorce claims, they must help prove “infidelity” (unfaithful conduct). Under Japanese Civil Law, mere dating or messaging may not suffice; however, intimate expressions or evidence of entering hotels can serve as indirect proof of sexual contact, which is necessary to substantiate claims under Articles 709 and 770 of the Civil Code.