Citizenship?

People have been talking about paying Income Tax out of Japan, but is it possible to denounce US citizenry and become a Japanese citizen?

I have heard that Americans can NEVER give away their citizenship, and if it is possible to have 2 ... that I don't know. and to get a Japanese citizenship you should be living in Japan for at least 5 years I believe.

best thing would be to inform at the Japan consult in the states, and your cityhall.

Dutch Baka said:

I have heard that Americans can NEVER give away their citizenship, and if it is possible to have 2 ... that I don't know. and to get a Japanese citizenship you should be living in Japan for at least 5 years I believe.

best thing would be to inform at the Japan consult in the states, and your cityhall.

Click to expand...

Yes, Americans can renounce their citizenship. Arudou Debito did that. Also, as far as I know, Japan forbids dual citizenship.

I sincerely hope the OP's motivation for becoming a Japanese citizen isn't just getting out of paying income tax.

A link to Arudou Debito's experience.

MeAndroo said:

I sincerely hope the OP's motivation for becoming a Japanese citizen isn't just getting out of paying income tax.
A link to Arudou Debito's experience.

Click to expand...

maybe he has alot of taxes

By a Japanese law
Naturalization) (Kika)
ﾂ（窶ｹA窶ｰﾂｻﾂ）
Article 4
窶佚ｦ4ﾂ湘ｰ Article 4. A person who is not a Japanese national (hereinafter referred to as "an alien") may acquire Japanese nationality by naturalization.
窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ坂?倪?督ｯ窶堙??堙遺?堋｢ﾅｽﾃ陳（ﾋ?遺?ｰﾂｺﾂ「ﾅ?Oﾂ坂?伉人ﾂ」窶堙??堋｢窶堋､ﾂ。ﾂ）窶堙債、窶ｹA窶ｰﾂｻ窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙≫?堙?、窶愿ｺ窶怒窶堙個坂?伉静絶?堙ｰﾅｽﾃｦ窶慊ｾ窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙??堋ｪ窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙ｩﾂ。
2 The permission of the Minister of Justice shall be obtained for naturalization.
窶ｹA窶ｰﾂｻ窶堙ｰ窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堙俄?堙債、窶邸窶督ｱ窶佚･ﾂ臣窶堙娯?ｹ窶凪?ｰﾃや?堙ｰ窶慊ｾ窶堙遺?堋ｯ窶堙ｪ窶堙寂?堙遺?堙ｧ窶堙遺?堋｢ﾂ。
Article 5
窶佚ｦ5ﾂ湘ｰ The Minister of Justice shall not permit the naturalization of an alien unless s/he fulfills all of the following conditions:
窶邸窶督ｱ窶佚･ﾂ臣窶堙債、ﾅｽﾅｸ窶堙個湘ｰﾅ陳鞘?堙ｰ窶敕ｵ窶堋ｦ窶堙ｩﾅ?Oﾂ坂?伉人窶堙??堙遺?堋ｯ窶堙ｪ窶堙篠、窶堋ｻ窶堙娯?ｹA窶ｰﾂｻ窶堙ｰ窶ｹ窶凪?ｰﾃや?堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙??堋ｪ窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙遺?堋｢ﾂ。
(1) that he or she has domiciled in Japan for five years or more consecutively;
ﾋ?ｸ窶堋ｫ窶伉ｱ窶堋ｫﾅ津懌?扼ﾋ?按湘｣窶愿ｺ窶怒窶堙可住ﾂ焦?窶堙ｰ窶猫窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙
(2) that he or she is twenty years of age or more and of full capacity according to the law of her/his home country;
窶愿ｱﾂ十ﾂ催射?按湘｣窶堙??怒ﾂ坂?倪?邸窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙≫?堙??拿窶氾坂?堙ｰ窶猫窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙
(3) that he or she is of upright conduct;
窶惑ﾂ行窶堋ｪ窶榔窶氾??堙??堋?窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙
(4) that s/he is able to secure a livelihood by one's own property or ability, or those of one's spouse or other relatives with whom one lives on common living expenses;
ﾅｽﾂｩﾅ津遺?凪?昶?堙債青ｶﾅ致窶堙ｰﾋ?ｪ窶堙俄?堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶掏窶ｹﾃｴﾅｽﾃ停?堋ｻ窶堙娯?伉ｼ窶堙個親窶伉ｰ窶堙固ｽ窶佛ｽY窶凪?昶?堙坂?ｹZ窶拿窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙≫?堙?青ｶﾅ致窶堙ｰ窶ｰc窶堙樞?堋ｱ窶堙??堋ｪ窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙?。
(5) that s/he has no nationality, or the acquisition of Japanese nationality will result in the loss of foreign nationality;
ﾂ坂?伉静絶?堙ｰ窶猫窶堋ｹ窶堋ｸﾂ、窶凪?昶?堙坂?愿ｺ窶怒窶堙個坂?伉静絶?堙固ｽﾃｦ窶慊ｾ窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙≫?堙??堋ｻ窶堙個坂?伉静絶?堙ｰﾅｽﾂｸ窶堋､窶堙冷?堋ｫ窶堋ｱ窶堙?。
(6) that s/he has never plotted or advocated, or formed or belonged to a political party or other organization which has plotted or advocated the overthrow of the Constitution of Japan or the Government existing thereunder, since the enforcement of the Constitution of Japan.
窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ坂?佛停?ｺ窶邸ﾅｽ{ﾂ工窶堙娯?愿ｺﾋ?闇津｣窶堙俄?堋ｨ窶堋｢窶堙?、窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ坂?佛停?ｺ窶邸窶凪?昶?堙坂?堋ｻ窶堙娯?ｰﾂｺ窶堙可青ｬ窶板ｧ窶堋ｵ窶堋ｽﾂ青ｭ窶｢{窶堙ｰ窶貼窶氾坂?堙??挧窶ｰﾃｳ窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙??堙ｰﾅ?ﾃｩ窶堙?、ﾅｽﾃ｡窶堋ｵ窶堋ｭ窶堙債、ﾅｽﾃ･窶卍｣窶堋ｵﾂ、窶凪?昶?堙坂?堋ｱ窶堙ｪ窶堙ｰﾅ?ﾃｩ窶堙?、ﾅｽﾃ｡窶堋ｵ窶堋ｭ窶堙最ｽﾃ･窶卍｣窶堋ｷ窶堙ｩﾂ青ｭ窶怡窶堋ｻ窶堙娯?伉ｼ窶堙娯?冂窶佚娯?堙ｰﾅ停?ｹﾂ青ｬ窶堋ｵﾂ、ﾅｽﾃ｡窶堋ｵ窶堋ｭ窶堙坂?堋ｱ窶堙ｪ窶堙俄?ｰﾃ≫?愿ｼ窶堋ｵ窶堋ｽ窶堋ｱ窶堙??堋ｪ窶堙遺?堋｢ﾂ人ﾂ。
2 When an alien is, regardless of his or her intention, unable to deprive herself/himself of her/his current nationality, the Minister of Justice may permit the naturalization of the alien, notwithstanding that the alien does not fulfill the conditions set forth in item (5) of the preceding paragraph, if the Minister of Justice finds exceptional circumstances in her/his family relationship with a Japanese national, or other circumstances.
窶邸窶督ｱ窶佚･ﾂ臣窶堙債、ﾅ?Oﾂ坂?伉人窶堋ｪ窶堋ｻ窶堙戸?毒ｽv窶堙俄?堋ｩ窶堋ｩ窶堙ｭ窶堙ｧ窶堋ｸ窶堋ｻ窶堙個坂?伉静絶?堙ｰﾅｽﾂｸ窶堋､窶堋ｱ窶堙??堋ｪ窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙遺?堋｢ﾂ湘ｪﾂ坂?｡窶堙俄?堋ｨ窶堋｢窶堙?、窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ坂?倪?督ｯ窶堙??堙個親窶伉ｰﾅ?ﾃ滅淡窶凪?昶?堙坂?ｹﾂｫ窶ｹﾃｶ窶堙俄?堙や?堋ｫ窶愿≫?｢ﾃ岩?堙固ｽ窶督湘ｮ窶堋ｪ窶堋?窶堙ｩ窶堙??戳窶堙溪?堙ｩ窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙債、窶堋ｻ窶堙固ｽﾃ停?堋ｪ窶楼ﾂ坂ぎ窶佚ｦﾅ津慊坂??窶堙嫁断窶堋ｰ窶堙ｩﾂ湘ｰﾅ陳鞘?堙ｰ窶敕ｵ窶堋ｦ窶堙遺?堋｢窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙??堙?ﾂ、窶ｹA窶ｰﾂｻ窶堙ｰ窶ｹ窶凪?ｰﾃや?堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙??堋ｪ窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙ｩﾂ。
http://info.pref.fukui.jp/kokusai/tagengo1/html_e/konnatoki/5kekkon/c_hou/hou.html

Tatsuhiro_Zensu said:

People have been talking about paying Income Tax out of Japan, but is it possible to denounce US citizenry and become a Japanese citizen?

Click to expand...

The answer is yes, but just doing the former won't automatically lead to the latter.

Becoming a Japanese citizen is... close to impossible. You need something to offer more than being white, and married to a Japanese. Also not worth it if you ask me. Currently only tax above $80k a year is taxable in the US (even though you still have to file). Also, your Japanese taxes are write-offs. Get a good CPA, and it's not nearly as bad as you'd think. It's not like you get completely double-taxed.

As for the Japanese dual-citizenship thing. Technically, they don't allow it, even for people born with it. At the age of 20, they require you to choose one, giving up the other. Of course there are many people that just don't bother to tell them, and simply travel on one passport.

Here is a hypothetical question...
How does it work if lets say, a Japanese couple moves to the USA, and has a child there (which equals automatic US citizenship for the child), but then moves back to Japan? Is the child allowed to get a Japanese citizenship, or no?

Also, another question, but it doesn't really relate to Japan...

what would happen if you were born in Antarctica for some reason? technically it would mean you would have no nationality I guess, so would it fulfill this (5) that s/he has no nationality, or the acquisition of Japanese nationality will result in the loss of foreign nationality;
ﾂ坂?伉静絶?堙ｰ窶猫窶堋ｹ窶堋ｸﾂ、窶凪?昶?堙坂?愿ｺ窶怒窶堙個坂?伉静絶?堙固ｽﾃｦ窶慊ｾ窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙≫?堙??堋ｻ窶堙個坂?伉静 窶堙ｰﾅｽﾂｸ窶堋､窶堙冷?堋ｫ窶堋ｱ窶堙?。
restriction?

zeroyon said:

Here is a hypothetical question...
How does it work if lets say, a Japanese couple moves to the USA, and has a child there (which equals automatic US citizenship for the child), but then moves back to Japan? Is the child allowed to get a Japanese citizenship, or no?
Also, another question, but it doesn't really relate to Japan...
what would happen if you were born in Antarctica for some reason? technically it would mean you would have no nationality I guess, so would it fulfill this (5) that s/he has no nationality, or the acquisition of Japanese nationality will result in the loss of foreign nationality;
ﾂ坂?伉静絶?堙ｰ窶猫窶堋ｹ窶堋ｸﾂ、窶凪?昶?堙坂?愿ｺ窶怒窶堙個坂?伉静絶?堙固ｽﾃｦ窶慊ｾ窶堙俄?堙ｦ窶堙≫?堙??堋ｻ窶堙個坂?伉静 窶堙ｰﾅｽﾂｸ窶堋､窶堙冷?堋ｫ窶堋ｱ窶堙?。
restriction?

Click to expand...

Not all countries in the world designate nationality by the "place of birth." Japanese nationality is based on fraternal parentage, that is, if you are born to a father who is Japanese, regardless of where you are born in this world. Note also that "fraternal parentage" restriction is slowly being relaxed, granting Japanese citizenship to babies born to Japanese mothers (if the father is unknown or missing). So, a Japanese born in the US or any other country that grants citizenship based on territory has dual citizenship.

The Antarctica question is therefore more complicated than that, because it will depend on who the parents are.

My middle son Timothy was born in the USA, and now playing in a major rock band...no,....JOKE.....

No, actually he was born there, and we didn't register it with the Japanese embassy in Atlanta (the closest one) so we had to do some not so involved paper work when we got back, but now he has both an American passport and a Japanese one. In other words, he's on track for Japanese citizenship.

I want to be a world citizen.

Mars Man said:

I want to be a world citizen.

Click to expand...

Me, too!

I wonder what type of life you've led if by fifteen years of age you've decided that it's in your best interest to renounce your US citizenship...

technically it would mean you would have no nationality I guess

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Children born to one American parents are automatically granted American citizenship. Children born in America (even to foreign parents) are also automatically granted US citizenship. I work with a German guy, whose wife is Japanese. They moved here from Tokyo w/ the company. Their son who is not even a year old, has 3 passports.

sorry, guys I know this is off topic, but I'm an American born Chinese so I have American citizenship but my family migrated to Australia when I was 2 so I also have Australian citizenship, does America allow me to have dual citizenship? meaning I can still keep my Australian one?

thanks, I know this is kinda off topic

eric said:

sorry, guys I know this is off topic, but I'm an American born Chinese so I have American citizenship but my family migrated to Australia when I was 2 so I also have Australian citizenship, does America allow me to have dual citizenship? meaning I can still keep my Australian one?
thanks, I know this is kinda off topic

Click to expand...

to my knowledge, yes they will let you keep both your Austrailian and US citizenship. I was born in the USA and then obtained Canadian citizenship after living there a while and applying, and I am allowed to keep both my Canadian and American passport.

ok, thanks for clarifying this for me Zeroyon