So I have a really long name that’s totally absurd and dumb, not to mention hard to remember. I have a Japanese passport and my long, ridiculous name is registered on it. Also, I was born in Japan.
I’m in America and plan to change my name (my name is foreign; on top of that, it sounds like something out of a sci-f/fantasy novel from the ’40s, no cap), especially since name changing “rules” are less restrictive compared to Japan. I’ll “remove” the middle parts of my name (which make it long) and change my given and surname to something Japanese (got the Kanji figured out and everything).
The thing is, I’m wondering how this will impact my Japanese “side”, legally speaking? Like, how will Japanese-based name change in America affect my name in Japan as a whole? Anyone have an idea?
2 comments
It won’t affect anything in Japan which is all based on your koseki. Unlike a foreign citizen (whose ‘source of reference’ is passport or birth records) no matter what you change in America nothing will be reflected here and you will not be able to use it to change anything here since your master reference as a Japanese citizen is your Japanese koseki.
To change your name on your koseki in Japan (and so any related documents like Japanese passports, driving license, etc) you need to appeal to the Japanese family court with your reason for changing it and a judge will look at. Your reason that it is too long to use for services in Japan etc and so it inconveniences you and that you are using that name abroad and your official documents there show it is likely enough (people who say they just want another name because they don’t like their current one etc won’t be approved) .
Here is the link:
https://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/syurui/syurui_kazi/kazi_06_20/index.html
if you are a Japanese citizen, it doesn’t matter whether you changed the name in the US. You need to go through the process in the Japanese court to change your name in your koseki.
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[https://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/syurui/syurui_kazi/kazi_06_19/index.html](https://www.courts.go.jp/saiban/syurui/syurui_kazi/kazi_06_19/index.html)
海外に住居所がある日本国籍の方が氏の変更の許可を求める場合には，日本における最後の住所地の家庭裁判所に申し立てていただくことになります（もし，日本に一度も居住したことがないなど，日本における最後の住所地がない場合やその住所が不明である場合には，東京家庭裁判所に申し立てていただくことになります。）