What is a Japanese person? In the previous column, I considered this question through the discussion of beauty pageants. There are various definitions and images of Japanese people, but in the end, it seems that "Japanese people" cannot be defined. On the other hand, "Japanese citizens" can be defined as "people who have Japanese nationality."
The currently popular NHK TV serial drama "Wings on a Tiger" depicts the life of a female lawyer, and frequently touches upon the Japanese Constitution, such as Article 14 (below), which proclaims equality under the law.
"All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin."
Here, "all citizens" refers, of course, to people with Japanese nationality. In other words, it does not mean all "Japanese people" or people living in Japan. Even if someone was born in Japan, speaks Japanese, and looks like the majority Japanese, if they do not have Japanese nationality, this article does not apply.
So what is "(Japanese) nationality" and what is the relationship between Japanese people and Japanese nationals = holders of Japanese nationality? For "people who believe they are typical Japanese," this may not be an issue worth thinking about, but it is a delicate issue for "people of Japanese descent" or Japanese nationals with roots abroad. Furthermore, in today's world where the rights of minorities should be protected, it is an issue that even majority Japanese people should be aware of.
Through "A book that explains the questions about nationality"
A book that provides an easy-to-understand explanation of "nationality" for children is "A book that explains the questions about nationality" (Taro Jirosha Editas, 2019).
Although it is aimed at children, it is questionable how many adults actually understand these issues, and in that sense it is also a very interesting read for adults.
To digress a little, basic social structures and problems are rarely taught in Japanese schools, probably because they are not necessary for entrance exams. For example, there is nothing more important than the structure of taxes, insurance, and employment systems in society, but these problems related to the real world cannot be taught in school. That is why even adults do not fully understand them.
However, perhaps because people are generally reluctant to start learning from the basics at this late stage, there are no easy-to-understand books for adults. Therefore, adults who want to learn have no choice but to turn to books "for children" such as Iwanami Junior Shinsho. However, as you can see from the contents, even though the books appear to be aimed at upper elementary school students and high school students, the content is plenty interesting for adults to read.
The author of "A Book to Understand the Questions About Nationality," Kinoshita Masahito, serves as Secretary General of the Kanagawa Development Education Center (K-DEC) and a part-time lecturer at the Tokai University School of International Studies. He conducts workshops on the themes of "multicultural coexistence," "human rights," "international cooperation," "peace," and "urban development."
What do the words we use every day without hesitation, such as nationality, citizen, Japanese, and foreigner, really mean? Using a variety of concrete examples, the book asks the questions "What is this?" and "Why?" as it explores the meanings of these words together with the reader.
"Japanese wrestlers" and "wrestlers from Japan"
First of all, what is the relationship between "someone" (such as "Japanese" or "Indian") and nationality? Interesting examples of Japanese people's perceptions of Japaneseness and nationality are introduced.
Foreign-born wrestlers are no longer uncommon in the world of sumo wrestling, but when Asahifuji won the championship in May 2012, it was celebrated as the first Japanese wrestler to do so since Tochinoshin in January 2006. However, when Kotoshogiku won in January 2016, it was said to be the first Japanese-born wrestler to win the championship in 10 years since Tochinoshin.
Both Kyokutenho and Kotoshogiku are Japanese with Japanese nationality. However, since Kyokutenho is from Mongolia and Kotoshogiku was born in Japan, Kyokutenho is called a Japanese wrestler and Kotoshogiku is called a Japanese-born wrestler (it doesn't go into detail, but that's probably how the media described it).
Regarding this deliberate use of different names, the author questions, "I wonder if there is a sense that even if someone obtains Japanese nationality and becomes 'Japanese,' they are not 'real Japanese'?" and points out, "It seems that some people feel uncomfortable calling someone 'Japanese' if they have Japanese nationality, because their parents come from a different country or have a different skin color."
The book also introduces a survey (2016) that asked people from various countries what they consider important when thinking of "people of a certain nationality." In response to the four items of "language," "traditions and customs," "country of birth," and "religion," 50% of people in Japan answered that "country of birth" was very important, while the figures were less than 20% in Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany, and just 8% in Sweden. However, one thing common to all countries was that they considered "language" to be very important.
What can be inferred from this is that Japanese people tend to place more importance on the country of birth than on nationality in order to be "Japanese."
When it comes to "Japanese-American," most dictionaries define it as "someone or someone of Japanese descent." However, the book shows that "Japanese-American" is now interpreted more broadly.
A Chinese woman who was adopted into a Japanese family once won a Japanese women's contest. The author believes that even if a woman does not have Japanese blood, she is now being given more importance for sharing the culture and values of Japanese people, such as speaking Japanese and being aware of being Japanese.
In international marriages in Japan, it is okay for husband and wife to have different surnames
Around the world, methods for determining nationality can be broadly divided into two: jus sanguinis and jus soli. The difference is based on the nationality of the parents or the place where the person was born. In Japan, if at least one of the parents has Japanese nationality, the child's nationality is "Japanese," but in the United States, a child born in the United States has American nationality, regardless of the parents' nationality. This differs depending on the country.
Also, nationality does not necessarily have to be just one. So-called dual nationality can apply to Japanese people whose parents are the result of an international marriage, to people whose parents are both Japanese but were born in a country like the United States that practices jus soli, or to people who came to Japan from a foreign country and took Japanese nationality in a country where the person's country of origin does not allow "renunciation of nationality" or where it is difficult to do so. However, in Japan, if a child has dual nationality, they must choose one of the nationalities by the age of 22.
These are relatively well-known facts, but what is less known is that when a Japanese person and a foreigner marry in Japan, the couple can have different surnames. This is said to be due to Japan's family registry system.
When you get married, you leave your parents' family register and create a new family register for the couple, so you have to choose one surname, but since foreigners don't have family registers, they don't have to have the same surname. This means that even though they are both Japanese, some people are allowed to have different surnames after marriage and others are not, which raises the question of whether this is equality under the law.
In addition, the book explains cases of athletes choosing nationality, Japanese people taking foreign nationality, and conversely, foreigners taking Japanese nationality. It also touches on the issue of "Koreans and Koreans in Japan" who have historically had their nationality changed or made to be foreigners for the convenience of the state, as well as the issue of stateless children and refugees and nationality.
As people move and mix increasingly globally, understanding of nationality, as well as ethnicity and culture, becomes increasingly necessary.
© 2024 Ryusuke Kawai