Interviews
I want to restore my Japanese nationality
I still want to have Japanese nationality. I got Brazilian nationality out of necessity, and I don't feel any discomfort about it. If getting Japanese nationality meant losing my Brazilian nationality, I might think about it again, but even if I were to regain my Japanese nationality, I wouldn't lose my Brazilian nationality. I think it's okay to have dual nationality. However, under Japanese nationality law, when you are asked "Are you losing your Brazilian nationality?" you have to answer "yes," but it doesn't actually disappear. So sometimes I think I want to die with Japanese nationality.
So when I'm asked, "Are you going to live in Japan permanently?" or "Do you want to live in Japan?", I have to prove that my base of operations is in Brazil, that I've moved my address to Japan, and that I'm living in Japan. So, although I haven't decided when I'll do it in the future, I do have a strong desire to get my Japanese nationality back.
Date: September 19, 2019
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum