KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT : The resolution overwhelmingly passed by the U.S. House of Representatives is a call to Japan. Return abducted American children home to their American parents. For one father in this crowd, it's a small victory in a year of struggle with international laws.

CHRISTOPHER SAVOIE, PARENT OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN: This is no longer a David versus Goliath fight with grieving parents individually fighting an entire foreign government. This is now a government to government fight. And it will not go away until our children are returned. LAH: Exactly one year ago Christopher Savoie sat in this jail in Lagona (ph), Japan. Savoie's ex-wife Norigo (ph) had abducted their two children Isaac and Rebecca to Japan. A U.S. court gave full custody of the children to Savoie but when Savoie attempted to take his children to the U.S. Embassy, Japanese police stopped him and arrested him because he was on Japanese soil and Japanese law recognizes Norigo (ph) as custodian and not abductor. Savoie was charged with child abduction. Savoie was released after more than two weeks but ordered to stay out of Japan and away from his children.

SAVOIE: The Japanese government needs to do the right thing not just because it's the morally correct thing to do but because it's not in Japan's national interest to allow its citizens to continue to ignore international law.

LAH: The governments of the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have all urged Japan to sign onto the Hague Convention an international agreement that protects children from child abduction. All G7 nations and approximately 80 countries are signatory and to date Japan has yet to sign on to The Hague.

HIDENOBU SOBASHIMA, JAPAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: We are of the seriousness of this issue.

LAH: Japan's ministry of foreign affairs says it hears what the international community is saying and is treating the child custody cases on a case by case basis but as far as changing its laws. So you are seriously considering signing The Hague but it will take time.

SOBASHIMA: I said the possibility.

LAH: The possibility.

SOBASHIMA: -- of concluding the Hague Convention but it will take time. That it was sort of internal domestic measures that we should achieve, but in order to become the party to the convention.

LAH (voice-over): U.S. lawmakers who push for the resolution in the House pledge to increase the pressure.

REP. CHRIS SMITH (R), NEW JERSEY: We've introduced legislation that would create a whole new mechanism within our government to hold countries that have a pattern of non-cooperation to account. We're not kidding. Japan, please listen. Send the children back.

LAH: The resolution is nonbinding so it lacks teeth but it continues to turn up the volume on Japan. But for American parents who are waiting, they have no choice but to wait longer.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.