Last year, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest number of foreigners who naturalized as Japanese citizens. For the first time in 50 years, the number of Chinese naturalizations surpassed the combined total of naturalizations from South Korea and North Korea.
On July 20, the Sankei Shimbun, citing the Ministry of Justice, reported that "last year, approximately 8,800 foreigners were granted Japanese citizenship, with about 3,100 of them being of Chinese origin, making them the largest group."
Specifically, the number of people granted naturalization last year was 8,863. The highest annual figure since records began in 1967 was 17,633 in 2003, and in recent years the annual number has generally remained between 7,000 and 9,000. By nationality, except for 1973, South Korean and North Korean nationals had consistently formed the largest group of naturalized citizens. However, last year, the number of Chinese naturalizations was 3,122, surpassing the 2,283 from South Korea and North Korea combined for the first time. The number of naturalizations from South Korea and North Korea is on a downward trend, and the Ministry of Justice has analyzed that "one reason is the decreasing number of special permanent residents choosing to naturalize."
Recently, the number of naturalizations from South Asian countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar has also been increasing. The number of naturalizations from countries other than China, South Korea, and North Korea doubled from 1,719 in 2019 to 3,458 last year, over a five-year period.
Naturalization is a system in which the Minister of Justice grants Japanese citizenship to foreigners who apply. The Ministry of Justice has stated that there are no fixed screening criteria or standard processing periods, and there is also no system for appealing decisions. However, the general requirements for naturalization are as follows: being at least 18 years old, residing in Japan for at least five years, being able to support oneself financially, having good conduct, renouncing one's previous nationality (as dual citizenship is not allowed), and complying with Japanese laws. In addition, applicants are required to have Japanese language skills?speaking, reading, and writing?sufficient for daily life.
While obtaining "permanent resident" status in Japan generally requires 10 years of residence, naturalization is possible after just five years. This has led to criticism of a "reversal phenomenon" where naturalization is seen as easier than obtaining a permanent visa.
Regarding naturalization, since April 1 of this year, public notices of naturalization published in the official gazette have, in principle, been made non-public for 90 days. In response to this, the Cabinet Office told the Sankei Shimbun that "because this is personal information, privacy must be considered, and the change was made in conjunction with the transition of the official gazette's 'official copy' from paper to an online version."
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