1. Former Japanese citizens who are now U.S. citizens
This section is for people who were born and raised in Japan, later built their life in the United States – through marriage or work – and eventually became U.S. citizens, but now wish to move back to Japan.
A. The most practical status to return with
If you were originally Japanese and now hold only U.S. citizenship, the fastest, most practical way to live in Japan again is usually to obtain the status of residence “Spouse or Child of Japanese National”.
Many people assume they can simply “reacquire” Japanese nationality right away, but in reality you must first live in Japan as a foreign national with a valid status of residence, and only after several years you can move on to the naturalization step.
The status “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” also covers those who are the child of a Japanese national. If you can prove that you were born from a Japanese parent – for example, through the family registry (koseki) – you may qualify for this status. If both parents have already passed away, you would submit their removal-from-registry records (josekibo). So the first practical step is to obtain your parents’ current koseki or josekibo.
B. Proving your nationality
For the residency application, you will also need to deal with proof of nationality.
If you have not yet filed a notification of loss of Japanese nationality, you must do so first. Many countries, including the United States, allow dual or multiple nationality, but Japan does not – under Japanese nationality law, you can only hold one nationality. This means that by becoming a U.S. citizen you have, as a matter of Japanese law, already lost Japanese nationality.
Some people say, “My name is still on the koseki, so my Japanese nationality remains,” but in fact, if you have not filed the loss-of-nationality notification, your name simply has not been removed (joseki) from the registry yet; it does not mean that your Japanese nationality itself is still valid.
If you wish to live in Japan again, you will need to apply for status of residence as a U.S. citizen, not as a Japanese national. For that purpose, immigration will ask for proof that you are a U.S. citizen and no longer Japanese, which is where the loss-of-nationality certificate comes in.
If you have never filed for loss of nationality, you should submit the notification at the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate. After roughly one month, you can obtain an official certificate confirming that you have renounced Japanese nationality.
C. Finding a guarantor in Japan
Next, you will need a personal guarantor in Japan.
If your parents are still alive, one of them can usually act as your guarantor. If they have passed away, a sibling is often the next option. This guarantor is not a joint and several debtor in a commercial sense, and if you as the applicant have sufficient financial means, the guarantor is not necessarily required to have a high income or large assets.
The guarantor’s role is more like a local point of contact if something happens. The application form also requires a Japanese address where you will live, so in practice it is more natural if you initially live with the guarantor, or rent a place nearby.
If you are not yet in Japan, your relative or guarantor can also act as your proxy for filing the application. Immigration Attorney (gyoseishoshi) with filing authorization can submit the application documents on your behalf, but legally they are different from “applicants” or “family proxies”. If there is neither an applicant in Japan nor a relative who can act as proxy, an administrative scrivener generally cannot submit the application alone (with some limited exceptions).
D. Proving you can support your life in Japan
A core concept of Japan’s immigration system is that it does not accept applications from people who are expected to rely on public assistance. Like many countries, Japan’s system is designed on the premise of giving priority to its own citizens.
Therefore, either you, your family, or your guarantor must be able to demonstrate the ability to maintain a normal standard of living in Japan.
If you are retired and wish to move back to Japan, you will need to show that you can support yourself for the coming decades through Social Security benefits, investments, savings, and other assets.
E. After you move back
If you continue to live in Japan under the “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” status, you will generally meet the residential-period requirement for naturalization after about five years under the current practice, assuming you meet the other criteria as well.
Moreover, if you can clearly demonstrate that Japan is your main place of residence – rather than frequently moving back and forth between Japan and the United States – it may be possible to apply for naturalization in less than five years of stay.
2. For U.S. citizens who want to try living in Japan
A. Long-term stays
If you are not a student or on a working holiday, there are essentially three main pathways for a foreign national to live in Japan for one year or longer:
a. Work for a domestic or foreign based company locating in Japan
b. Become the spouse of a Japanese national
c. Start and run a business in Japan
Simply buying a house or an apartment building in Japan does not, by itself, qualify as “starting a business” for immigration purposes.
For an overview of the residency options and requirements, you may find helpful an article written for Relocate World, where I serve as an Ambassador (advisor), which explains Japan’s residency certificates and related issues. In addition, the requirements for the Business Manager status have recently changed quite significantly, so I recommend reading the updated article on that topic as well. I plan to consolidate these points into a dedicated blog post in due course.
B. Medium-term stays
If your goal is to spend around six to twelve months in Japan, you have a few options, such as:
a. Staying as a financially independent visitor (you cannot work in Japan under this status)
b. Using the digital nomad framework (currently, it allows a stay of up to six months at a time; you cannot “extend” in-country, but you may be able to apply again after leaving and re-entering)
Japan’s residence statuses and requirements can be quite confusing, especially for foreign nationals. If you are considering any of these options and are unsure which category might fit you, please feel free to contact us.