Japanese Dreamer needs help?

Question

Well, I was wondering if there was any way I could ever be a citizen in Japan. I am dark colored, transgendered woman and am willing to change my name to a japanese one.... So I was wondering if I would be able to be living in Japan.

PS I am an aspiring writer

Answer 1

Sorry,but I would say your chances are less than zero. TG's in Japan are thought of as having "GID". Gender Identity Disorder. Chances of citizenship are low for a straight person. Even if you're born there, unless both your parents are Japanese, you are'nt given citizenship.

  If you have a four year degree, you can qualify for a work visa. But only if you have a job offer first.

Sorry, but I have to say it does'nt look good.

Answer 2

Living in Japan is different from being a citizen of Japan.  To be a citizen, you have to renounce your other citizenship, so for example if you are American now, if you become a Japanese citizen then you are no longer an American and you can't travel to the US or work there without the proper visa/green card.  Becoming a naturalized Japanese citizen is quite difficult and, outside of ethnic Chinese/Koreans who were born and raised in Japan, only a handful of foreigners have successfully done it.

To live in Japan, you just need the proper visa (work/student/spouse/etc.) before you move there.  A work visa requires a bachelor's degree and a job offer before moving to Japan.  After living in Japan for 3-5 years on such a visa, you can apply for a Permanent Residence visa (different from citizenship).

Last time I read about it, Japanese law does not permit the changing of your legally recognized gender, so you would need to register as your birth gender on all official documents including your passport, visa, etc..  TG is not really socially accepted in Japan, it's still illegal to perform s*x change operations in Japanese hospitals.  There are a couple TG celebrities but they are only accepted on TV, not in real life.

Answer 3

good for u

Answer 4

Wow, what a coincidence!  I was actually wondering the same thing a couple weeks ago.  And upon doing some more research on the issue, I've come to the realization that acquiring Japanese citizenship is a long and arduous process.  

First of all, can you speak Japanese?  And are you willing to renounce your country's citizenship in favor of that of Japan's?  If not, then you are going to run into some problems.  It's good that you are willing to change your name because if you apply for citizenship, that is one of the requirements.  I don't necessarily think that just because you are a trans gendered woman that you will automatically be turned down, but unfortunately, it might make things a bit more complicated. Also, you will need to have lived continuously in Japan for at least 5 years, show proof that you can hold down a steady job and are a productive member of society with no criminal background.  I've heard that they will even go so far as to ask questions along the lines of 'How many Japanese friends do you have?' and 'Do you get along with your neighbors?'  In some cases the government will even send someone out to interview your friends and acquaintances.  

All these requirements are pretty crazy, and what I've outlined here is really only the tip of the iceberg.  But if you are serious about this, I wish you the best of luck.  Remember, it's difficult but not impossible!  And like  I see someone has already mentioned, you will probably have better luck getting a work visa.  That's probably the best way to go too, because you can keep your name and country's citizenship and still live in Japan.  Hope this helps!