Will it appear in the Official Gazette when a foreigner is naturalized?
When a foreigner is naturalized in Japan, it is announced in the Government Gazette, which is issued by the government in accordance with the provisions of the Nationality Law.
Many naturalized citizens have been living under a Japanese name for a long time and are socially accepted as Japanese. For such a person, there is a possibility that the official bulletin will reveal to the people around them that they were originally a foreigner.
Date of announcement of naturalization approval in the official gazette
The naturalization is published in the Official Gazette when the applicant passes the screening and the permit is issued – about 1 to 2 years from the time the required documents were submitted. It is generally difficult to get information in advance about when it will be published, and it is common for it to be published before the Legal Affairs Bureau even notifies the applicant of the outcome of the naturalization application.
It is not published if the applicant is denied.
What is the official bulletin anyway?
The Official Bulletin is a government newspaper that provides the public with comprehensive information about legislation and certain legal procedures. It is published almost daily and publishes information on various procedures, such as “Bankruptcy of Individuals and Companies" and “Call to Heirs of Deceased Persons."
The notices on applying for a naturalization permit are only a small part of the information in the Official Gazette. Most importantly, the Gazette is not intended for ordinary Japanese; only people involved in tax and financial transactions read it when needed.
What information is published in the official gazette with the announcement of naturalization?
When the naturalization information is published in the Official Gazette, it will look as shown below. The name is the actual name before naturalization, and the common name is not published. If the Japanese name is not known, it is assumed that the applicant can only be presumed from the address and date of birth, even if the notice is seen.
Notice of the Ministry of Justice No. 0
The case of naturalization to Japan in connection with the application of the following individual is accepted.
Date
Minister of Justice XXX
Address: XX-XX-XX, XX City, XX Ward, Tokyo
Name XXX Born XXX
<h2>Submit a notification of naturalization within one month of publication in the Official Gazette</h2>
The naturalization permit becomes effective by public notice, but the procedure is not yet completed. First, the applicant must receive a card from the Legal Affairs Bureau and submit a naturalization notification and a notification of loss of citizenship (in their home country) at the Municipal Office within one month after the announcement. The deadline for returning the residence card to the immigration office is even shorter – only 14 days.
The deadlines are very tight so take note of the above procedures and make sure there are no omissions.
Conclusion │ Summary of the official publication of the naturalization acceptance
The information about naturalized individuals is published in the Official Gazette, and there is no way to stop the publication. However, since it is not a publication that is noticed by the general Japanese population, it is unlikely that acquaintances or work colleagues will find out about it.
More importantly, just because the notice takes effect does not mean that the naturalization process is complete. If the applicant completes all the required procedures, such as submitting the naturalization notification within the deadline, only then can they fulfill the original purpose – obtaining a Japanese passport.