2025-08-08

There are many athletes with foreign citizenship in Japan today. Some of them have acquired Japanese citizenship and are active as Japanese citizens. Here, we will introduce the process by which foreign athletes acquire Japanese citizenship, as well as athletes who have become naturalized citizens.

What is naturalization?

Naturalization is the process by which a foreign national currently residing in Japan acquires Japanese nationality through application. Naturalization has the following advantages

　・A person can have a Japanese name and be less likely to be discriminated against.

　・If a foreign national marries a Japanese national, they can be registered in the same family register.

If they marry a Japanese national, they can be registered in the same family register.

　・Since they will have a Japanese passport, they will be able to travel abroad with the endorsement of the Japanese government, which will simplify the procedures.

　・The Japanese government will endorse your passport when you go abroad, simplifying the procedures.

　・The right to vote and to be elected, and thus to participate in Japanese politics.

　・ To be able to take out a loan or obtain a loan from a bank.

However, naturalization also has the following disadvantages

　・The applicant loses his/her nationality (it is not possible to acquire the nationality of his/her home country again).

　・When returning to one’s home country, one must obtain a visa as a Japanese national.

How do athletes become naturalized?

First of all, foreign athletes generally need an “entertainment visa” in order to come to Japan and perform in Japan for the first time.

An entertainment visa is a status of residence required for foreign nationals to engage in activities related to entertainment, such as plays, performances, musical performances, sports, and other entertainment activities in Japan. Actors, singers, dancers, professional athletes, etc. fall under this category. The period of stay is divided into 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, and 30 days, depending on the applicant and the nature of the entertainment activities.

Foreign athletes must first obtain an “entertainment visa” in order to engage in activities in Japan.

After that, in order to apply for naturalization to acquire Japanese citizenship, the “criteria for naturalization approval” will be revised in 2022, requiring a period of stay of at least 3 years. Therefore, in order to apply for naturalization, an athlete must have been active in Japan with a status of residence for at least three years.

Athletes who have naturalized in Japan

The following is a list of athletes who have naturalized in Japan by category.

First, professional baseball players include Rarity Morimoto, who played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Takahiro Arai, currently manager of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and Yoshiaki Kanamura, who played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes and other teams.

In the sumo world, there is Sho Hakuho, a former yokozuna, Mitsuhiro Musashimaru, another former yokozuna, and Haruo Terunofuji, a current yokozuna.

In the table tennis world, there are Tomokazu Zhang and Miwa Zhang, and in the soccer world, there are Rui Ramos and Tulio Tanaka.

Summary

Generally, for the first time, athletes must obtain an “entertainment visa” in order to come to Japan and engage in activities. Then, after meeting certain requirements, they apply for “naturalization” to acquire Japanese citizenship.