Comments on: Going From Foreigner to Japanese Citizen

By: KazumiNaka

KazumiNaka — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:46:00 +0000

This post is amazing.
I am moving to Japan next year, Starting with studies, then work.
My Japanese is good, so the language won’t be a problem.
Many Japanese friends of mine have asked me countless times if I am Japanese.
Surprisingly enough, I am not.
Well, As far as I know. Because of the fact that my mother is adopted, we do not know much about her biological parents and so on.
Anyway, by “fitting in” is it enough to look slightly Japanese, speak the language well, and be aware of everything when it comes to the way of acting and the culture? Or is it more to it?
As far as I have experienced (by my trips to Japan) I haven’t felt as an outsider at all.
So hopefully I will be a Japanese citizen one day.

Which reminds me, Is the chance bigger if you marry a Japanese and/or have kids with a Japanese?
Simply a question out of curiosity.

By: Bambisensei

Bambisensei — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:53:00 +0000

I don’t agree with you saying that Japanese men are often not interested by foreign girls, maybe you say that because you live in a small town so there are not many opportunities to date someone. But I can say with the few experience I have of Japan ( one year of an university exchange in the Kansai area ) that as long as you’re not ugly, fluent in japanese and acting naturally, there’s a bunch of guys ready to date you and not only because they want to have a “foreign” experience ! If the guy is shy, you take the initiative lol ! What’s the most difficult is keeping a long relationship though :), but isn’t that a first world couple problem ?

By: Andreas

Andreas — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:03:00 +0000

I live in Greece as a foreign worker from Asia. Years I’ve spent here studying and now working. I also kind of ready to give up hope at times when I feel weaker and give in to what others think and not what I need to survive. Complex, the not fitting-in feelings, discriminations. I’m of many generations of chinese descent from Indonesia (pls don’t be mean as to tell me “hey just go away to china” as though it was a light matter). I found this blog by chance, it is interesting. I can say that what so many foreigners or Japanophiles have experienced there in Japan is exactly mirroring of what I’ve been through here as a foreigner once aspired to settle down in a “better” land. Nowadays the world has become more challenging to us internationalists, and countries well-known for their “homogeneities” are showing up and be more exposed on the internet.

By: Jeremy Rawley

Jeremy Rawley — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:34:00 +0000

Why don’t they allow dual-citizenship? What do they think is going to happen?

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:22:00 +0000

I think some clarification is needed. You aren’t required to pick a Japanese name to become a citizen, but you are required to have your official name be written in a Japanese script. So if your name is “Steve” you don’t have to switch to a Japanese name like Takeshi, but you would have to alter it so that it fits in with the Japanese writing system, so your new official name would be Sutiibu （スティーブ）

By: Catherine Cole

Catherine Cole — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Oh my gosh me too. I want to be a citizen too and I’m learning Japanese as we speak. Um..I can’t really find any sources on research though. ><; Maybe google Japanese culture for me or..something …heh heh.