Completing the Family Outline

One of the documents you'll need to complete as part of the application process is the 親族の概要 {shinzoku no gaiyō} (family outline). The form they give you is an empty table, six columns by six rows. You can download and print the form from this site's Documents and Forms page.

You are to complete two of these forms: one version for your overseas relatives (both Japanese and non-Japanese); and another version of it is for relatives — both Japanese and non-Japanese — that live in Japan. You will mark which form is which at the top header, which will give you a multiple choice:

（居住地区分 {kyojū chikubun}／□日本 {nippon}　□海外 {kaigai}）

Check the left box for the form with your relatives living in Japan. Check the right box for your relatives living outside of Japan.

You need to list the following people (regardless of whether they are dead or alive), excluding yourself:

• 同居の家族 {dōkyo no kazoku} (all family living with you)
• 配偶者 {haigūsha} (spouse)
• 親（含：養親） {oya (fukumu: yōshin)} (parents, including adoptive parents)
• 子（含：養子） {ko (fukumu: yōshi)} (children, including adopted children)
• 兄弟姉妹 {keitei shimai} (brothers and sisters)
• 配偶者の両親 {haigūsha no ryōshin} (spouse's parents)
• 内縁の夫（妻） {naien no otto (tsuma)} (common law husband or wife)
• 婚約者 {kon'yakusha} (fiancé)

If you have more than six people either in Japan or outside of Japan to list, you will use multiple forms.

Going from left to right, you need to fill out the following columns for each one of your family members:

• 続柄 {tsuzukigara} (relationship)
  
  the relationship of this person to you — examples: 長男 {chōnan} (oldest/first son), 長女 {chōjo} (oldest/first daughter), 夫 {otto} (husband), 妻 {tsuma} (wife), 父 {chichi} (father), 母 {haha} (mother), 妻の父 {tsuma no chichi} (wife's father), 妻の母 {tsuma no haha} (wife's mother), 兄 {ani} (older brother), 姉 {ane} (older sister), and 妹 {imōto} (younger sister)
• 氏名 {shimei} (full name) and 生年月日 {seinengappi} (birthdate)
  
  the name is to be written in 仮名 {kana} (Japanese syllabet) or 漢字 {kanji} (sinograms) — Chinese names may be written naively, but no Latin letters, Cyrillic, Hangul, etc. — in Japanese order; family name first. The birthdate is to be written in 和暦 {wareki} (Japanese calendar) style; ex. 昭和 {Shōwa}45 for 1970.
• 職業 {shokugyō} (profession):
  
  what they do — examples: 会社員 {kaishain} (company employee), 米国◯◯銀行員 {beikoku marumaru ginkōin} (U.S. bank employee at XX), 無職 {mushoku} (unemployed), 大学生 {daigakusei} (college student), or 不明 {fumei} (unknown)
• 住所 {jūsho} (address):
  
  where they live. If they live in Japan, you need to provide the full address. You may write 同上 {dōjō} (same as above) to simplify. For people that live with you, write 同居 {dōkyo} (same residence).
  
  Foreign addresses must be written in Japanese. For example: アメリカ合衆国 {Amerika gasshūkoku}カリフォルニア州 {Kariforunia-shū}ロスアンジェルス市 {Rosanjerusu-shi}◯◯通 {marumaru dōri}1234 (1234 XX St, Los Angeles, CA, USA).
  
  If the full address of someone overseas is not known, write as much as you know, suffixing the address with 以下不明 {ika fumei} (the rest is unknown). Example: フィリピン国 {Firipin-koku}マニラ市 {Manira-shi}以下不明 {ika fumei} (unknown, Manila, Philippines)
  
  If the person has died, do not write their address. check the box ☑ by 亡 {bō} and write the date of their death in 和暦 {wareki} (Japanese year format).

The final column is a compressed box labeled 交際状況等 {kōsai jōkyō nado} (relationship status etc.). There are three multiple choice questions, followed by a field for the telephone number and a field to indicate the date they naturalized or applied for naturalization.

• ①交際の有無 {kōsai no yūmu}: if you have any contact/communication with this person, check ■ 有 {ari} (exists), otherwise select □ 無 {nashi} (none)
• ②帰化意思 {kika ishi} (intends to naturalize). Do not answer this if they live overseas, otherwise choose □ 有 {ari} (exists) or ■ 無 {nashi} (none)
• ③申請者の帰化に対する意見 {shinseisha no kika ni tai suru iken} (opinion regarding applicant's naturalization). In the 意見 {iken} (opinion) field, choose either ■賛成 {sansei} (approves), □反対 {hantai} (disapproves) or □特になし {toku ni nashi} (no opinion). Do not answer this question if you marked that you didn't have a relationship with the person in ① above.
• その他 {sono ta} (miscellaneous). If the person lives in Japan, provide their domestic Japanese phone number, otherwise, leave the field blank.

If you are applying to naturalize as a family, all of the people currently in the application process should be submitted together and be connected by the application dates on this form with the 申請 {shinsei} (applying) circled and dated in the その他 {sono ta} (other) field. If they have already naturalized to Japanese, the 帰化 {kika} (naturalized) should be circled with a date in the same その他 {sono ta} (other) field box. Note that indicating that a family member has no opinion on your naturalization or disapproves of your naturalization does not disqualify you from naturalization. The field is used for three purposes:

1. for families that naturalize together, it's to make sure one of the family members isn't being coerced into going along with it.
2. for countries where citizenship is based on marriage or religion, complications could arise from attempting to change one's citizenship
3. most importantly, to assist the case worker in helping you understand the long-term consequences (to yourself and to your family) regarding changing your citizenship.