I became a citizen of Japan. The process of obtaining Japanese citizenship is intentionally opaque, demanding extensive documentation and taking at least a year, with outcomes based partly on subjective judgment. The Government of Japan has designed the process to be demanding.
At the Legal Affairs Bureau, routine questions cover nationality, years in Japan, marital and family status. The preliminary documentation required is extensive and includes original birth certificates for parents and siblings, proof of parents' marriage, affidavits, complete academic and work histories, and tax returns. All English documents must be translated into Japanese with a certificate of accuracy.
Japanese translations are restricted to kanji, hiragana, katakana, or Arabic numerals. The bureau has relocated to a central location near the courthouse. The applicant emphasizes consulting the Ministry of Justice directly, as each application is treated individually.
The process is designed to be demanding, and the applicant advises going ahead and consulting at the local Legal Affairs Bureau according to their guidance.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing