Name After Naturalization

At our office, we provide comprehensive support for naturalization applications for foreign nationals, primarily in the Kitakyushu area. We have assisted many clients from countries such as South Korea (including Special Permanent Residents), China, and Nepal.

In recent years, we have also received an increasing number of consultations from permanent residents regarding the naturalization process. Among these, one of the most frequently asked questions concerns the choice of a name after naturalization.

In this article, we offer a clear explanation of some of the most common questions related to names.

Q1. Can I freely choose my name after naturalization?
Yes, in principle, you are free to decide your family name and given name after naturalization.

Many Special Permanent Residents choose to continue using the name (commonly used alias) that they have been using in daily life.

However, because your name will be officially registered in the Japanese family registry (koseki), there are certain restrictions:

Only Jōyō kanji (commonly used characters), jinmeiyō kanji (characters permitted for names), hiragana, and katakana may be used.

Names that are overly difficult to read, extremely unconventional, or contrary to public order and morals may not be accepted.

A clear distinction between family name (surname) and given name is required (written in the order: family name → given name).

Q2. Can I use my current name written in katakana?
Yes, it is possible to use your current name written in katakana.

Examples:

A Nepali national named Ram Bahadur → 「ラム バハドゥール」

A Korean national named Kim Minju → 「キム ミンジュ」

However, please note that in the Japanese family registry (koseki), names must be registered in the order of family name → given name, and cannot follow the Western order of given name → family name.

Q3. Can I continue using my current Chinese or Korean name in kanji?
In some cases, yes. If the kanji used in your current name is included in Japan’s list of Jōyō kanji (commonly used characters) or jinmeiyō kanji (characters permitted for names), it may be used as is.

For example, characters such as 李 (Li) or 陳 (Chen) are also common Japanese surnames and can generally be registered.

However, some kanji characters cannot be used for names after naturalization. We therefore recommend checking in advance with the Legal Affairs Bureau (Homukyoku) to confirm whether your desired kanji can be registered.

At our office, we offer a free initial consultation for those considering naturalization in Kitakyushu and throughout Fukuoka Prefecture.

“I’m still unsure if I should apply for naturalization…”

“Which is better for me—permanent residency or naturalization?”

“I feel uncertain about changing my current name to a Japanese one.”

If you have these or similar concerns, please feel free to contact us anytime via our official LINE account, by phone, or through our inquiry form.