| Representative |
Satoko Shibahashi
Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University. After working as a public relations secretary in the electric power industry, she founded the General Incorporated Association Rimusubi in 2017, inspired by her own painful experience with divorce. Drawing on her personal experience, she advocates for “joint parenting,” a model that allows parents to continue raising their children without conflict. She is the author of *The Practical Manual for Joint Parenting* and many other books. Through media appearances and lectures, she focuses on social reform aimed at protecting children’s happiness. She married at age 30, divorced at age 40, and remarried at age 50. Her hobbies include marathon running, mountain climbing, trail running, and gardening. |
| Main Achievements |
2021: Testimony as an Expert Witness before the Family Law Subcommittee of the Legislative Council
2024: Testimony as an Expert Witness before the House of Representatives Committee on Justice
Participation in the Ministry of Justice’s Research Project on Joint Parenting
2025: Selected for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s co-cial Studio Program
2026: Participation in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ ICT Startup League |
| Motivation, Goals, and Ideal World |
This stems from my own painful experiences with divorce and raising children. I keenly felt the deep emotional trauma children suffer when they are caught in their parents’ conflicts. In Japan, as many as 70 percent of children in divorced families are unable to see the parent with whom they do not live. From my own experience, I realized that legal and procedural resolutions alone leave emotional resentment unresolved, leading to intensified conflict between parents and ultimately causing children to suffer. This made me strongly feel that a support system is needed to help families transition to joint custody without conflict, which led me to decide to start this business.
My goal is to spread a “dialogue-based resolution model (ADR/counseling)” nationwide—one that does not rely on litigation—to facilitate conflict-free divorces, thereby dramatically increasing the rate of joint custody agreements during divorce. I will establish an infrastructure that consistently provides emotional support and helps negotiate terms, building a system that allows those involved to feel a sense of security early on.
Beyond that, what I want to create is “a world where children continue to receive equal love from both parents even after divorce.” I aim to make it a common societal understanding that divorce is not the “breakup of a family” but rather the “reorganization of a team.” I will build a society where children’s rights and opportunities to be loved are never taken away due to adult conflicts, and a future where children can grow up with their heads held high, knowing that “I am loved by both my parents.” |
Media Produced by ASCII STARTUP
