Court Orders Tokyo Government to Assist Man in Finding Biological Parents After 67-Year Mix-Up

On April 21, the Tokyo District Court made a significant ruling, requiring the Tokyo metropolitan government to assist Satoshi Egura in his quest to locate his biological parents. Egura, who was born at the now-closed Tokyo Metropolitan Sumida Hospital but was swapped at birth, initiated legal action after unsuccessful attempts to discover his true parents on his own.

The court emphasized that the correct identification of a child’s biological parents is a fundamental aspect of the parent-child relationship. It concluded that the metropolitan government has a duty to take necessary actions to address such errors and thus ordered their cooperation in Egura's search.

In a previous case in 2004, the hospital was found liable for the mix-up, resulting in a 20 million yen (approximately $140,500) compensation to Egura. Following this, he sought help from the Tokyo government to locate his biological parents, but the government hesitated due to privacy concerns. Despite his own ongoing search, which included unsuccessful attempts to contact individuals from the basic resident registry, Egura resorted to legal measures three years ago, asking for the government's assistance again.

Throughout his life, Egura has grappled with a sense of not belonging, noting how he often felt different from his family. This feeling of alienation became evident in various ways, from emotional reactions during family gatherings to comments from relatives about his appearance not resembling anyone in the family. This prompted him to leave home at just 14, eventually becoming independent at 20 by starting his own business.

Years later, DNA tests confirmed his suspicions—that he did not share blood relations with his adoptive family. In 2004, in light of the initial legal findings against the hospital, he began searching for his birth parents with limited leads. His investigation involved visiting nearly 70 individuals who shared his birthday and paying for lists of potential relatives in Tokyo, yet most information remained inaccessible due to privacy restrictions.

In 2021, facing obstacles in his search, Egura filed another lawsuit against the Tokyo government to request the disclosure of his biological parents' identities. The government argued against this request, fearing it could infringe upon his parents' rights if they had lived without knowledge of the mix-up. However, Egura countered that he sought merely to know his origins and any potential siblings, asserting that everyone deserves the right to understand their roots.

With both of his adoptive parents now passed or suffering from severe health issues, Egura expressed urgency in wanting to reconnect with his true family. He hopes that the court's ruling will pave the way for him to finally meet his biological parents and learn about his true heritage.