Writing the Motivation Essay

handwritten, but not in English

The last time I had to write an essay regarding why I wanted to belong to anything was when I was applying for college.

Like applying for college, exactly what I thought I should write was a total mystery. Should I suck up, and say how much I love everything about Japan and how being a Japanese citizen is my lifelong dream? Should I write an analysis of the Japanese Constitution, and how my naturalization relates to it: in the past, present, and future? Should I write something about how it's necessary to become Japanese in order to provide the best possible life for my family? Or perhaps I should write about how my life dream is to jump into every 温泉 {onsen} (hot spring bath) and eat at an 居酒屋 {izakaya} (Japanese pub) in every single 都道府県 {todōfuken} (prefecture) in Japan before I die.

The only bit of guidance they give you is one little note in the instructions at the bottom of the page. Outside of these instructions, the form is simply a blank white page with seventeen ruled lines. Here it is, in its entirety:

　　　　　　　　　　　帰化の動機書 {kika no dōkisho}　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　平成 {heisei}　　　年 {nen}　　　月 {gatsu}　　　日 {nichi}

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　申請者 {shinseisha}　　　　　　　

(注 {chū}）

1. 帰化した理由を具体的 {kika shita riyū o gutaiteki}（例えば {tatoeba}，渡日に至った経緯 {tonichi ni itatta ikisatsu}・動機 {dōki}，日本での生活に対する感想 {nihon de no seikatsu ni tai suru kansō}，本国に対する思い {honkoku ni tai suru omoi}，今までに行った又は今後行いたい社会貢献 {ima made ni okonatta mata wa kongo okonaitai shakai kōken}）に書き {ni kaki}，末尾に作成年月日を記入し {matsubi ni sakusei nengappi o kinyū shi}，署名する。 {shomei suru.}
2. 原則として {gensoku toshite}，申請者が自筆 {shinseisha ga jihitsu}（ワープロは不可 {wāpuro wa fuka}）する。 {suru.}
3. この書面は {kono shorui wa}，申請者ごとに作成するが {shinseisha goto ni sakusei suru ga}，１５歳未満は不要である。 {jūgo sai miman wa fuyō dearu.}

For completeness, this Naturalization Motivation Essay form is available for viewing, printing, and download in the Forms section, along with its English translation.

The instructions at the bottom of the page say this:

1. Write your specific reasons (for example, what led to you coming to Japan, what your thoughts are on living in Japan, what your thoughts are towards your original country, what you've contributed to Japan up to now and what you plan to contribute in the future), then sign and date at the end.
2. As a rule, the applicant must write this without help (using word processing software is not allowed).
3. Every applicant must complete this, except for those who are not yet fifteen (15) years old.

While it is not written on the form, the 帰化許可申請のてびき {kika kyoka shinsei no tebiki} (naturalization permission application handbook) also says that those who have the status of 特別永住者 {tokubetsu eijūsha} (special permanent resident} also do not have to write a motivation essay.

No minimum or maximum length guidance is given. My public servant case worker told me that I can copy the blank form and write as many pages as I thought was necessary. "What's the minimum?" I asked. He coyly replied, "whatever is necessary to fully state your motivation."

Obviously, it goes without saying that the essay must be (hand) written in Japanese (by yourself). Perhaps this is to make sure the essay is original and truly your thoughts, as opposed to your lawyer's, your spouse's, or your employer's — and not something you copied off of the Internet. It does not say specifically if you can at first compose it in your native language, have it professionally translated, then transcribe the translation by hand to the paper. If you do this, it's probably a good idea to make sure the translation is not using words or grammar that you yourself would not be able to say or write. There is a chance you will be asked to read from your essay and you may be asked questions about it, either during the pre-submission period or afterwards during your interview. If the handwriting on the paper differs greatly from your handwriting elsewhere, that's probably not a good thing either.

Interesting in comparison, the 永住許可申請書 {eijū kyoka shinseisho} (permanent residency permission application form) also has a section entitled 永住許可を申請する理由 {eijū kyoka o shinsei suru riyū} (reason for applying for permanent resident permission) on the two page form, but the space given for this reason is 1¾ lines! Furthermore, the 法務省 {hōmushō} (Ministry of Justice) used to have a sample completed form right on its web site, and it included a sample reason! The sample reason provided was:

今後も日本人夫と日本で生活していくため {kongo mo nihonjin otto to nihon de seikatsu shite iku tame}
(for the purpose of continuing to live with my Japanese husband in Japan)

Many people who completed this form (including myself), simply copied the sample reason given verbatim, so there was no worrying as to whether "your reason" was adequate or not. Unfortunately, the 法務省 {hōmushō} (Ministry of Justice) has since removed the sample application from its official web sites.

Of course, it's unlikely that copying this reason for your naturalization essay is a good idea.

Others on the Internet have asked me to share my motivation essay, which was five pages long, on this site. "No way. It's intensely personal." I talked about my decision to come to Japan, my wife, my children, and how I want to live with them in the future. "I'd sooner appear nude on the web before I showed it to others," was my response to those who asked to see the essay. To this day, the only person other than myself that I've allowed to read my essay was my spouse. And that's only because she was going to be interviewed with me for the naturalization process so I thought it would be good for her to be on the same page as me.

It took me over ten weeks to write the essay (over-thought the essay as well as writer's block and multiple revisions and do-overs). Because it was handwritten and I haven't written anything by hand, either in English or Japanese, of more than a page since high school, a lot of characters and words were crossed out. I even had a section I circled and drew an arrow, indicating a move of a paragraph.

When I presented it to my case worker, I watched him read every page in silence, literally moving his finger left to right, top to bottom. This allowed me to see which parts he was reading, so I attempted to inject color commentary into his reading time:

"I thought about writing another reason there..."
"That's probably the most important part..."
"I decided that paragraph should come before that one, which is why I circled it and drew a line and arrow."
"That was a very influential time for me..."

He ignored my comments. After he was finished reading, he took the extra copies I made and diligently filed them. I asked him what he thought. 「宜しいです」 {"Yoroshii desu."} ("It's fine.") Was it long enough? Too long? Detailed enough? Not detailed enough? Did it cover what needed to be covered? He just said it was fine, and don't worry.

And he was right. I didn't need to worry. Looking back, I realize that formally writing a long reason on why I wanted to live here permanently, thinking about my decades here, was very cathartic, and even today thinking about what I wrote makes me happy I'm here and happy that I'm Japanese.

Have fun!