Rare Cases in Naturalization Vol.1｜Family, Birth, and Parent-Child Relationship Issues

Rare Cases in Naturalization Vol.1｜Family, Birth, and Parent-Child Relationship Issues

When it comes to naturalization applications in Japan, unexpected issues often arise not just with documents or income—but with family relationships.
This article features several real-life cases where legal systems and the realities of family life didn’t quite match up.
Enjoy these curious stories with commentary from Gyoseishoshi Ishinagi!

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🧾 Case 1: “My parents were never married”—and no birth registration for 30 years!?

💡 Overview

A-san, a woman in her 30s, was born and raised in Japan.
However, she had never been officially registered at birth, meaning she had no family registry (koseki) in Japan.
Why? Her parents—both foreign nationals—were never married and separated soon after her birth.
Her mother raised her alone and never filed a birth registration in either Japan or the home country.

⚠️ Issues at the time of naturalization

• Despite being born in Japan, she was not officially registered anywhere, not even in her home country.
• Since her parents were never married, a marriage certificate could not be submitted, and a legal proof of birth was required instead.
• No birth certificate from the home country could be obtained, making it extremely difficult to prove the parent-child relationship.

✏️ Comment by Gyoseishoshi Ishinagi

This is a case of “not registered as a person before being considered for nationality”.
Surprisingly, cases like this are more common than you’d think—especially from certain regions in Asia and South America.
When there is no official document proving parenthood, we sometimes even have to consider DNA testing.

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🔍 Supplement: How did she go to school or the hospital without being registered?

“Wait… if she wasn’t registered, how did she attend school or get medical treatment?”
Great question.
This is where the gap between legal systems and real life becomes strikingly clear.

📚 School: Accepted based on compulsory education policy

• Japanese education boards sometimes accept children even without official status, based on the right to education.
• If a parent negotiates with the school and explains the situation, some schools allow unofficial enrollment.
• However, without a koseki or residency record, the child may not be issued a formal student ID or graduation certificate.

🏥 Hospitals: Treated under full-cost “private billing”

• Without health insurance, patients must pay the full cost of treatment (100%).
• Some hospitals provide care based on humanitarian grounds, especially in emergencies.
• Still, long-term or major medical treatment is often very difficult without insurance.

🏠 Residency record: None = no access to government services

• Without a birth registration, no juminhyo (residency record) is created, meaning the person legally “does not exist.”
• In rare cases, the person may have been listed informally as a household member or referenced in hand-written memos—but this is completely outside the system.

✏️ Comment by Gyoseishoshi Ishinagi

Living in Japan for 30 years but legally not existing—yes, it really happens.
Of course, it’s never the person’s fault.
That’s why in cases like this, the first and most important step is to “get them back into the system.”
Before naturalization, we often have to begin with the monumental task of proving the person was legally born.

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🧾 Case 2: My brother and I have different last names!? Turns out our parents changed theirs.

💡 Overview

B-san came to Japan with her brother, both children of the same parents.
However, their last names were different on official documents.
Why? It turned out that the parents had legally changed their family name at some point, and each child was born under a different version of that name.

⚠️ Issues at the time of naturalization

• Although they share both parents, their last names differ, triggering questions from authorities.
• There was no official document explaining the name change, making it hard to prove the connection.
• This led to doubts such as, “Are they really siblings?”

✏️ Comment by Gyoseishoshi Ishinagi

Even Japanese people would be confused if siblings had different last names!
But again, this isn’t the applicant’s fault—it’s usually due to a quirk in how names were registered abroad.
You’ll need detailed documentation proving the siblings’ relationship, such as birth certificates and identity links for the parents.

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🧾 Case 3: Divorce, remarriage… and family records are all inconsistent!?

💡 Overview

C-san, a woman in her 20s, had foreign parents who divorced during her childhood.
Both later remarried in different countries.
As a result, her family structure was completely inconsistent across official documents—Japanese residency records, documents from her home country, and even her own recollection all differed.

⚠️ Issues at the time of naturalization

• The Legal Affairs Bureau demanded marriage, divorce, and birth certificates from the home country.
• However, with step-siblings and remarried parents in different countries, it became unclear who was related to whom.
• In the end, a complete family tree had to be recreated from scratch.

✏️ Comment by Gyoseishoshi Ishinagi

Just seeing the “father/mother” fields on a document doesn’t mean you know who belongs to who.
When memory is the only source, close coordination with the Legal Affairs Bureau becomes essential.
And in many countries, marriage or divorce records may not be available as official public documents.

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💬 Final Thoughts｜Family backgrounds vary—Gyoseishoshi are the interpreters of “life and law”

Family situations are never the applicant’s fault.
But from the Legal Affairs Bureau’s perspective, their focus is “Are there any contradictions?” when reviewing the application.

As administrative scriveners, we act as interpreters between life and law—redrawing family trees, organizing timelines, and crafting a story that authorities can understand and accept.

Ishinagi Administrative Scrivener Office

If you want to obtain Japanese nationality quickly and securely, or if you feel uncertain about preparing the required documents, please feel free to consult our office in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka.
We handle requests from all over Japan and provide the most suitable support based on our experience with immigration procedures and applications to the Legal Affairs Bureau.

If you wish to proceed with your naturalization application smoothly and with confidence, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

▶ See our fee schedule here

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