Lower House OKs revised Nationality Law

Kyodo News

The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday to amend the Nationality Law to enable a child born out of wedlock to a Japanese man and a foreign woman to obtain Japanese nationality if the father recognizes his paternity after birth.

The bill is expected to clear the House of Councilors for enactment by the Nov. 30 end of the current Diet session.

The government proposed the revisions after the Supreme Court ruled in June that a provision in the law that only granted Japanese nationality if paternity is admitted before a child is born is unconstitutional.

The bill includes a provision for imposing prison terms of up to one year or fines of up to ¥200,000 on anyone falsely filing for the paternity of a Japanese man to secure Japanese nationality.

In other countries in cases where paternity comes into question, DNA testing has become a routine method of confirmation.

Lawmakers mainly from the Liberal Democratic Party are against the revision, claiming it could lead to an increase in false nationality claims.

At present, a child born outside of marriage can obtain Japanese nationality only if the Japanese father admits paternity when the child is still in the mother's womb, but not after the child is born.

The envisioned amendment would enable nationality to be given to any child born out of wedlock as long as Japanese paternity is recognized.

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Lower House OKs revised Nationality Law

Japan Info Guide Links for living in Japan

Japan Info Guide
Links for living in Japan