社会｜外国人の日本国籍取得が厳格化 / Society | Stricter Regulations for Foreign Nationals Acquiring Japanese Citizenship

Summary

The government is adjusting the residency requirement for foreign nationals seeking Japanese citizenship, raising it from the current “5 years” to “10 years.”

This change comes in response to criticism that the current residency requirement is more lenient compared to that for permanent residency. The revised policy is expected to be included in the basic framework for foreigner policies to be finalized in January next year. As a result, it is anticipated that the threshold for acquiring citizenship will be raised.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Log: I’ve heard that the residency requirement for foreigners obtaining Japanese nationality is going to become stricter. It’s reportedly going to change from 5 years to 10 years.
Chako: What?! That’s going to be so tough! Why are they doing that?
Log: There are various opinions on this, but the current requirements being more lenient than those for permanent residency is seen as a problem.
Navi: It’s a common perspective in immigration policy that the length of residency impacts the acquisition of nationality.
Chako: I see! So we’ll have to live in Japan for a longer time, huh?
Log: That’s right. It seems this will be included in next year’s basic policy.

Admin’s Note

The discussion about tightening nationality acquisition for foreigners is likely to have a significant social impact. In particular, the extension of the required residency period could become a major hurdle for foreigners living in Japan, potentially discouraging them from immigrating. I want to closely watch how national policies change in the future. Additionally, as seen from Chako’s reaction, how the younger generation engages with this issue is also an important point.