Japan eases nationality regulations

Tokyo: Japan on Friday passed a Bill to grant citizenship to more children born out of wedlock to foreign women and Japanese men, in a change that has sparked calls from lawmakers for DNA testing to prevent fraud.

The fuss over the amendment, which could affect thousands of children, underscores Japan's sensitivity over homogeneity, seen as a barrier to immigration that could help the country ease the problems of its ageing population.

Under the new law, children of Japanese fathers and non-Japanese mothers may apply for nationality at any time before the age of 20, provided their father has acknowledged them, the Justice Ministry said.

Previously, the father had to claim the child before birth, or marry the mother before the child reached the age of 20, to enable him or her to become Japanese.

That rule was effectively overturned in June when the Supreme Court ruled in a case brought by 10 Japanese-Filipino children living in Japan that it was unconstitutional to limit nationality to those whose parents were married.

Since the late 1970s, thousands of Filipino women have moved to Japan to work as entertainers. Many have had children with Japanese men.

Several lawmakers have expressed concern about the possibility of fraudulent paternity claims. The new law stipulates fines or sentences in such cases.