A woman in her 70s who lived as a '40s younger sister' by even creating a family register... "I was teased because of my age"

Obtained Family Register Falsely and Created Health Insurance Card
Even When Arrested by Police, "I am Iwata Jua"

A woman in her 70s who falsely obtained a family register in Japan and pretended to be a 24-year-younger 'fictional younger sister' stood trial. On the 31st of last month, Japan's TV Asahi reported that "Chizuru Yoshino (73), accused of fraud and forgery of private documents, admitted to the charges at the first trial held at the Tokyo District Court." She stated that the reason for the crime was "being teased because of my age."

Chizuru Yoshino. [Image source=TV Asahi news footage capture]

Yoshino meticulously worked to create a fictional younger sister, 48-year-old 'Jua Iwata.' She sought consultation at a free legal office, saying, "I have a younger sister without a family register and want to create one," and submitted documents to the Tokyo Family Court to obtain the family register. However, the court approved it, resulting in the birth of Yoshino's younger sister who does not exist in this world. She also created a health insurance card under the name 'Jua Iwata' using forged documents.

During this process, Yoshino acted as if she were 'Jua Iwata.' Although she was actually over 70 years old, by introducing herself as 'Jua Iwata,' she was able to work at a place with a retirement age of 65. She displayed both 'Yoshino' and 'Iwata' on her home nameplate to make it appear as if the Yoshino couple and the fictional younger sister lived together. It is reported that her husband also helped by submitting forged documents to the court.

This crime was uncovered when Yoshino tried to obtain a motorcycle license under the name 'Jua Iwata,' and a police officer noticed discrepancies. The officer found the age listed on the documents inconsistent with Yoshino's actual appearance and became suspicious, leading to the crime being exposed. At the time of her arrest, Yoshino insisted, "I am Jua Iwata. I am not in contact with my older sister because we had a fight." However, her husband admitted the charges, saying, "My wife wanted to look younger."

The prosecution stated, "Yoshino was teased about her age at the security company where she worked," and "Yoshino told her husband, 'I want to be young,' and 'If I work as a 48-year-old, I won't be harassed.'"