Tokyo: Family courts in Tokyo and Okinawa Prefecture have rejected claims for Japanese citizenship filed by four Japanese descendants living in the Philippines. The four individuals, aged 79 to 82, were born to Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers and became stateless after being left in the Southeast Asian nation following the end of World War II.

According to Philippines News Agency, while Japan’s former nationality law granted Japanese citizenship to people with Japanese fathers, the family courts stated that the law referred only to legal fathers. Despite DNA tests confirming that one of the four had a Japanese biological father, the courts ruled that their Japanese fathers did not recognize them and, therefore, rejected their claims.

In a statement released through his lawyers, Jose Takei, 82, one of the Japanese descendants, expressed his regret over the court’s decision. He emphasized his desire to obtain citizenship while he is still in good health.