“A Japanese guy loved being a Vietnamese son-in-law so much that he became one twice,” is the humorous introduction by Ngoc Ngan (born in 1993, from Dong Nai) about her husband - Morishita (born in 1982, from Tokyo, Japan).

Morishita has been a Vietnamese son-in-law twice, yet he has had only one wife and one in-law family. Their story of separation and reconciliation is both unusual and thought-provoking.

Before meeting Ngoc Ngan in 2019, Morishita had no plans to get married. He had traveled extensively and intended to change his place of residence every few years.

That changed when he came to Vietnam. He enjoyed the vibrant lifestyle and the friendliness of local people. When a Japanese company was recruiting staff to work in Vietnam, he applied and decided to settle there long-term.

Falling in love with Ngoc Ngan, a colleague working at the same company, granted Morishita an even greater reason to remain in Vietnam. In 2021, the couple tied the knot. From a migrant worker, he officially became a "son-in-law" of the S-shaped land, a place where he held many beautiful memories.

In the beginning, their marriage was quite peaceful. Because of his love for Vietnam, Morishita quickly integrated and adapted to traditional customs. He was also willing to learn Vietnamese to communicate more easily with his wife's family.

However, conflicts emerged and escalated into severe tension when they brought up the topic of having children. Ngoc Ngan yearned to be a mother, whereas her husband feared losing his freedom and dreaded shouldering the responsibility of raising a child.

“Before the wedding, he did mention that he did not want to have children, but I brushed it off. I simply thought 'who doesn't give birth after getting married', without expecting that he would be so unyielding.

Eventually, he agreed to try for a baby, but after six months without success, we went for medical examinations. We learned that it would be difficult for us to conceive naturally and that IVF would likely be necessary,” Ngan said.

Disregarding his wife's wishes, Morishita refused to do IVF. Ngan lacked the patience to convince her husband further, visibly showing her exhaustion and frustration. Ultimately, Morishita gave up: “If having a child is what you want, I will grant your wish. Let's break up.” The couple went their separate ways in January 2024, ending their marital bond.

After the breakup, Morishita returned to Japan for work. Away from Vietnam and the wife he had shared his life with for three years, he felt lonely and empty. Memories of Vietnam’s lively atmosphere and the peaceful home they had built together continued to haunt him.

Ngan was equally heartbroken. Divorce had never been the outcome she wanted, but she felt she had no alternative when she and her husband could no longer find common ground.

Broken marriage restored

Later that year, Ngoc Ngan decided to move to Germany for work. As her paperwork was nearing completion, she sent a message to her ex-husband to tell him about her plans.

A week later, she received a reply that left her in tears.

“I can live alone, but if I could choose one person to walk beside me until the end of my life, I would want that person to be you.”

That simple but heartfelt sentence changed everything.

“He told me life in Japan was incredibly lonely. Wherever he went, whatever he did, he was always by himself. Only after our divorce did he realize how much joy had disappeared from his life without me.

“When he learned I was preparing to move to Germany, he felt that if he let this chance pass, we might never have another opportunity,” Ngan recalled.

In that moment, both realized how important the other person was and how much understanding and empathy had been missing from their marriage.

In September 2024, they decided to reunite and rebuild their relationship. Morishita returned to Vietnam and became a Vietnamese son-in-law for the second time.

This time, something unexpected happened. Ngoc Ngan conceived naturally without medical intervention.

She was overwhelmed with happiness, and her husband welcomed the news with joy.

“On the day our child was born, Morishita looked at the baby for a very long time and smiled. Later, he became the most attentive parent. He told me, ‘Having a child is not nearly as stressful as I imagined,’” Ngan said with a laugh.

Thanh Minh