Hello, I contacted my local Japanese consulate office and they are giving me confusing and conflicting information. My dad is Japanese and has lived there his whole life. He passed. I was born in Japan (I guess, makes me a Japanese national) but I don’t have a Japanese passport. Only a US passport. They are saying I have to get a Koseki Toho (Family registry) and then get a passport to come to Japan because I’m a Japanese national. I don’t know how long he’s passed, I don’t speak Japanese well enough to contact all the agencies, but my brother who does but is a Japanese citizen not a national because he was born somewhere else is having the same run around. We had Japanese passports when we were infants.
Are they saying there is no way to fly to Japan to pick up his belongings and ashes until I get a Japanese passport created? They’re saying I can’t get a visa because I wouldn’t be eligible since I’m a Japanese national. I’m so confused during this painful time. Is there really no exceptions to the covid restrictions even during this time? If there is anyone who knows an agency I could call to get more information, please help.
Thank you so much.
3 comments
Unfortunately, as shitty as it is the consulate staff are entirely correct. As a Japanese national you are not able to apply for visas nor use the USA’s visa-exemption status. Doing so would be considered visa fraud. Even if you were, visa issuance is extremely limited right now and you would probably have to petition for humanitarian reasons to obtain a designated activities visa, and that’s equally as much of a hassle as just getting your Japanese passport, if not more.
Essentially you need to obtain a copy of your family registry (koseki). You’ll need to ask the city office where your father lived for this. You can do it via proxy (letter of attorney) if you have friends or family still living within Japan, or you can hire an actual attorney if not. Some offices also allow retrieval via post.
You then take the koseki with a few other documents to your local Japanese embassy or consulate and apply for your passport.
I’m sorry for your loss and sorry that this process is so difficult.
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Since your father is already dead and you’re not trying to go to Japan for a funeral or, say, to assist your mother, then you’re pretty out of luck until you get a Japanese passport. People previously Japanese citizens who need to come to Japan for dying/dead parents have been allowed in under special circumstances during the pandemic, but it doesn’t seem like your situation is applicable here.