"Longer Residency Required"... Japan to Raise Bar for Naturalization Amid Surge in Foreigners

"Japanese language proficiency required... Motivation for naturalization must be handwritten"
"Length of residence expected to be a key issue"

The Japanese government is considering tightening regulations and making the requirements for naturalization more stringent in response to the surge in the number of foreigners.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on November 25, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed Minister of Justice Hiroshi Hiraguchi to review the requirements for naturalization.

Chinese tourists are gathered near Sensoji Temple, a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

The length of residence for foreigners is expected to be a key issue. Currently, foreigners must have resided in Japan for at least five years to acquire Japanese citizenship, which is shorter than the requirement of at least ten years of residence needed to apply for permanent residency.

The Japan Innovation Party, a coalition ruling party, pointed out in its foreign policy proposals announced in September that there is a "reversal phenomenon" in which the period of residence required for naturalization is shorter than that for permanent residency, and called for improvements to the system. The party also highlighted the lack of regulations to revoke naturalization even if it is later discovered that an applicant provided false information in documents or engaged in anti-social behavior.

A view of downtown Tokyo, unrelated to the article content. Pexels

Nikkei reported, "The Japanese government is expected to extend the required period of residence for naturalization beyond the current standard," adding, "Some believe that simply comparing the requirements for naturalization and permanent residency is not appropriate." The report continued, "Naturalization applicants must have sufficient Japanese language proficiency for daily life. Documents related to the motivation for naturalization must be written in Japanese and handwritten, whereas documents stating the reason for applying for permanent residency can be prepared on a computer and accompanied by a translation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.