Becoming Japanese

Japan has been, for the past six years, slowly changing all its laws that define an adult from 20 years of age to 18 years of age. This process will complete next year. This also means that one will be able to naturalize as an adult at 18 instead of 20 (providing their original nationality recognizes them as a legal adult). It is possible to naturalize now before the age of 20, but only as a dependent of a family whose guardian is also changing to Japanese nationality. People who acquire a nationality involuntarily in addition to their Japanese nationality have 2 years from the time of acquisition AS AN ADULT to perform the "Choice of Nationality" process. This 2 year timer can occur in the following scenarios: The most common way is to be naturally born with two nationalities, and then become an adult according to Japanese law. So Japanese dual-national children, upon turning 20 (the age of majority in Japan), must perform the Choice of Nationality for their Family Register ...

not naturalized: Renhō ( DP , Tōkyō) The term "natural-born" means someone who acquired that nationality by being born. It does not mean being born on the soil of the country you're a national of. For example, if one of your parents is a United States citizen, you will be born as a "natural-born" citizen of the United States as well, even if you were born in Japan (and not in a U.S. embassy or military base). The opposite word for "natural-born" citizen is a "naturalized" citizen. In other words, you acquired that nationality not by being born into it, but by another means. Unlike the United States and some other countries, Japan does not grant additional rights or privileges to those with natural-born citizenship; you can rise to the highest level of political office (prime minister) even if you're naturalized. So does the above mean if somebody was born with Taiwanese citizenship with a Taiwanese passport, but then gets Jap...