Manila: Jose Takei, an 82-year-old man of Japanese descent living in the Philippines, is striving to obtain Japanese citizenship after becoming stateless following World War II. Keen to secure his nationality while still in good health, Takei recently visited Japan for the first time, facilitated by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. During his visit, he reunited with relatives in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, and submitted his application for Japanese nationality at the Tokyo Family Court.

According to Philippines News Agency, Takei was born in May 1943 to a Japanese father employed by the Philippines’ national railway and a Filipino mother. Before Takei’s birth, his father joined the Japanese military and later returned to Japan after the war, leaving Takei and his mother behind. This situation was not unique, as approximately 30,000 Japanese nationals moved to the Philippines before the war, some marrying local women. Many of these men were recruited by the Japanese military, leading to separations and statelessness for their descendants.

In the Philippines, nationality was determined by the father’s citizenship, leaving many Japanese descendants, including Takei, stateless. The Japanese Foreign Ministry and the Philippine Nikkei-jin Legal Support Center report that at least 3,800 Japanese descendants remain in the Philippines, with over 1,800 having died without securing Japanese citizenship. Of those still alive, around 50 individuals, with an average age of 84, continue to hope for Japanese nationality.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, during a visit to Manila in April, met with Takei and other Japanese descendants, pledging to assist them in obtaining citizenship and facilitating their visits to Japan. The Foreign Ministry remains committed to supporting these efforts, ensuring that Japanese descendants can reconnect with their heritage and secure their rightful nationality.