Adding your Pre-Naturalized Name to your Japanese Passport

Amendments and Endorsements Page of a Japanese Passport

For those of you who have chosen a Japanese name that may sound completely or partially different from your name prior to naturalizing to Japan - you still have the option to use that name as a Japanese national on most legal transactions or items as you may have previously. This can simply be done by adding your pre-naturalized name to your passport as a 別名併記(betsumei heiki) which translates roughly to "alias additional listing".

In my case, as I already applied and recieved my passport before requesting the "alias additional listing", I had to go through a seperate process where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (most likely the Passport Center of your City/Prefrecture, or the Consular Section of the Japanese Embassy if overseas) uses a seperate page (Amendments and Endorsements Page) usually right after the identification page with your picture and personal details. Apart from the above process I went through, note that you can also have this done on your first Japanese passport by requesting an "alias additional listing" at the time of your initial application.

To apply for  an "alias additional listing" to be added to your passport after/post issuance, the following is required (re my own application):
  • 一般旅券訂正申請書 (Ippan Ryoken Teisei Shinsei-sho) Application for Ordinary Passport Amendment (refer to the green area in the below example) - this can be obtained and simply filled out at the Passport Center/Consular Section.
  • 戸籍謄本/戸籍抄本 (Kosseki Tōhon or Koseki Sahon) Official Copy of your Full/Partial Family Register issued no longer than 6 months - this can be requested in person on by mail from your registered ward or city office.
  • 別名の綴りを確認できる資料 (Betsumei no Tsuzuri wo Kakunin dekiru Shiryō) - this can be your passport pre-naturalization to Japan (my case), certificate of nationality, foreign government issued alien registrigation card or other materials that clearly print your alias (name different to that of your Japanese naturalized romanized name).
  • JPY 900 - general processing fee to have your passport amended. 
  • Your current valid Japanese passport - of course.
Remember to fill in both your Japanese name and alias, e.g. "SUMISU (SMITH), JEIKU (JAKE)" in the green highlighted area on the second page of the Application Form as follows:

     
However, as sad as it may sound, the entire process of applying for an Amendments and Endorsements Page is coming to an end with the new Passport Act promogulated in June of this year. According to the Passport Center where I applied, they will keep accepting applications to around the end of 2014. Therefore, if you are interested in having this done, you may have to act quickly. Any applications after would be a reissuance of your passport with a reduced fee with the same validity as your previous passport (which I remember is way higher than JPY 900). Refer to the below link from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more details on the new Passport Act.

http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page3_000097.html

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