Japanese nationality please help!?

Question

my son was born in kanagawa yokohama, japan. I am african american and my late husband is japanese. he died before my son was born. as soon as he died I went back to american to identify him and thats were I stayed. so I never reported his birth to the japanese. even here I am not able to get the proper certification intill I have settled things with his japanese nationality. my son is now 15 and really needs his japanese certificate. my friend who is of japanese nationality, said that it is important to inform the embassy and I thought that maybe if I clam delayed registration due to fathers death thay can give him his certificate, but I'm scared to death for him. I've done some reading and from what I've seen japanese nationality is hard to get even if you were born in the region to a japanese parent. more importantly I also read that if the parent should pass way prior to the birth, the child can automatically receive citizenship. what should I do please I pray that someone brings me some good news.

Answer 1

This is from WIkipedia:

Japan is a jus sanguinis state, meaning that it attributes citizenship by blood, not by location of birth. Article 2 of the Nationality Act provides three situations in which a person can become a Japanese national at birth:

1) When either parent is a Japanese national at the time of birth

2) When the father dies before the birth and is a Japanese national at the time of death

3) When the person is born on Japanese soil and both parents are unknown or stateless

A system for acquiring nationality after birth is also available.

Japanese citizens who hold multiple citizenship by birth will be required to declare that they want to retain their Japanese citizenship by the age of 21. They also have to "make an effort" to renounce other citizenships once they have declared to retain their Japanese citizenship.

IIMO, you really, really should contact the Japanese Embassy with your question. Personally, if I were you, I would go there and ask them face-to-face because they can give you any documents you might need. If you don't live close by, or if you don't have the time, I would call them and ask. If you're nervous about talking to them, you don't have to give them any personal details (name, address, etc.). But you really do need to talk to them.

Good luck!