06-08-2025
4 of Japanese descent in Philippines seek Japanese citizenship
Four people of Japanese descent who say they were left behind in the Philippines in the chaotic conclusion of World War Two have lodged citizenship claims with Japanese courts.
Eighty years on from the end of the war, there are still about 50 such people in the Philippines pursuing citizenship claims in Japan.
They say they were born to Japanese fathers who immigrated to the Philippines before the war and Filipino mothers, but remain stateless due to a lack of documents proving their fathers were Japanese citizens.
A supporting group told reporters on Tuesday the four people, aged 79 to 82, have filed cases in family courts in Tokyo and Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan.
The group says it has assisted in conducting DNA analyses and gathering material to substantiate blood ties between each of the four and their fathers and other relatives.
It says family courts have so far granted citizenship to 324 people of Japanese descent.
Ishii Kyoko, the group's secretary general, says some people are still trying to determine the identity of their fathers, which makes it even harder to find proof of their Japanese lineage.
She said the average age of people pursuing such claims is 83, so time is running out.
One of the four plaintiffs, Takei Jose, is 82 years old. He is scheduled to visit Japan on Wednesday, with support from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He will meet with relatives in Osaka, western Japan.
