For many of you who read this blog, nationality is probably something you have thought about before. What about for your children (or future children)? My mother was born and grew up in New Zealand but is now an Australian citizen. I could apply for a NZ passport at anytime if I so wished because dual nationality or multinationalism is recognized in both Australia and New Zealand.
This is not the case in Japan however, in fact, I often get asked if I will be able to become a Japanese citizen after I marry Shun and the answer is no. This does not really bother me at all, however. People are more shocked to learn that after age 22 Japan does not recognize or allow Japanese citizens to have dual nationality. What this would mean for our kids is that up until age 22 they could hold dual nationality in Australia & Japan however when they reached 22 they would need to choose one nationality over the other.
This law, while not exactly enforced, could mean that if a 22 year old choose to keep say their American passport and nationality even though they had grown up in Japan most of their life, could be deported unless they had a visa to live in a country they thought of as their own (There are son/daughter of Japanese national visa`s available however)
This topic has been in the new a lot recently with several articles published in the Japan Times in a series regarding nationality and dual citizenship here, here, here & here.
A quote from the first article reads
“Japan is the only developed country that does not automatically grant citizenship to babies born within its territory, allow its nationals to have multiple citizenship or let foreigners vote in local-level elections”
While Japan doesn`t crack down or go searching for Japanese passport holders that have multiple nationalities, it could. Basically this law disadvantages the honest people only. That said, I know several people that hold dual nationality, meaning a Japanese passport and another passport and they are well over the 22 age limit.
I can only hope that Japan & its lawmakers reassess this rule by the time our future kids reach the 22 age limit- I would hate for our children to lose out on dual nationality. I figure we have 25 years before we start worrying about it, but I have many friends that this will affect well before then. Let`s hope 2009 brings about change…..
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
My kids are still only 3 and 5 so this is still pretty far away for me, too but I do think about it.
I have dual citizenship Canada/ Australia but you know, it’s not the passport that makes me who I feel I am. It’s the culture and how much my parents made me feel a part of each country/ culture that does it I think.
7 years married and still the majority of Japanese people think I AM Japanese as I’m married to one though…
“Japan is the only developed country that does not …let foreigners vote in local-level elections” I’m very surprised by this — I didn’t think England did, but I’m frequently caught out by that kind of thing. Anyway, so not the point of this post.
If before the age of 22, one held two passports and then later chose a particular nationality over their Japanese one, would their passport have to be returned? Would something flag it up as invalid when they tried to return to the country, if they left? I’m thinking maybe not, if you know several people with two passports.
But the thought of your own children having to face such a difficult choice is particularly horrible — however years distant it may be. Here’s hoping it gets relaxed in the near future….
I agree. It’s funny that no one knows about this law even in Japan though. I always get asked if I’m Japanese now, or plan to be and yet it’s such a hard thing to achieve, and I wouldn’t want to lose my Canadian citizenship.
A good friend of mine was born in Japan, raised in Canada since she was 3, but the whole family kept their Japanese passports, because it’s easier to keep that and get a Canadian permenant residency card than the other way around. If she got a Canadian one, it would be harder for her to eve be able to live in Japan again if she wanted to. I think that’s a good way to go, a passport is just a booklet anyways. =)
I’ve thought about this as well…
I guess in my case again it would be another 22 years or so and things have changed a lot in Japan in the last 20 years so I imagine there will be more in the 20 years to come.
Since my father is British I’m actually eligable for a UK passport (aka access to all the EU)
I am sorely tempted to apply for it as it could prove really useful after the kids are all grown up. (They aren’t eligable for a UK passport themselves since I am only able to get one through “decent”) Complicated right?
Like Sara I have my fingers crossed that Shou and Marina and the bun will be able to hold both their passports. A silly law like the not being able to vote even though we have to pay the same taxes. The visa thing is a pain – getting my spouse visa renewed every three years. I will probably apply for permanant residency this year though and then I think the visa lasts for longer periods?? Hopefully. Still can’t vote though – but probably good thing as Japan changes prime ministers so often I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it all.
I am the same with Sara… can have an EU passport by decent (France) but something i have not went for, but I have to say with all honesty… it comes down to culture, but making one chose one or the other is like telling someone who is of African /White decent to choose are you “black” or “white”? Not Fair! (sadly the US is behind on this, if you have a certain percentage of “black” they list you as being black?).
I have always checked “other” but like the OP said, 22 years from now.. Japan will change dramatically, although at one time in my disappointment in the WEST (France, US, etc) I have at a whim wanted to cash in my Western Passport for a Japanese one.. again me always thinking on an emotional level not logic.. my vote is for Dual!!!! Why should one have to be FORCED to pick one on the other.. things are not always black&white, there is a lot of Grey area to be accounted for but the bureaucratic seem to forget about that..
Good topic. My kids are only 3 and 7, so I got a long ways away too. But like the others said and I agree, I hope the laws change before then, so they can keep both. : )