I had a child with my Japanese partner, but we are no longer together. In this situation, what nationality will my child be?

If the father is Japanese, then your child can acquire Japanese nationality. Your child can also choose the status of residence called “Spouse or Child of Japanese National”.

I want to raise my child in Japan, but I think it will be difficult on my own. Can I receive support?

There is special housing in Japan for single mothers and their children. Mothers can work towards becoming self-reliant, while receiving support in their daily lives.

There are cases where a foreign woman becomes pregnant with the child of her Japanese partner. What should she do if she gives birth unmarried and the child’s father does not acknowledge the child as his? Here is a case in which the child has obtained Japanese citizenship through support.

Summary of the Support

While studying at a Japanese language school, a foreign woman became pregnant. Child’s father was her Japanese boyfriend. His parents were against the marriage and they could not get married. However, she wanted to raise the baby in Japan, so she sought advice from a support group.

With the support, the following results were achieved.

(1) The court recognized that the child’s father is Japanese.
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The child obtained Japanese citizenship.
The woman (mother) obtained the status of residence as a permanent resident.

(2) The mother and the child were able to live in a maternal and child living support facility (home for mothers and children).

Recognition and Nationality of Mother and Child

If the mother is a foreigner and the father is Japanese, the child can choose either Japanese nationality or a status of residence as a spouse or child of a Japanese national.

However, if the parents are not married, the father must acknowledge the child as his own. In this case, her ex-boyfriend did not acknowledge the child, so the mother petitioned the court for mediation. At the mediation, a DNA typing test was conducted, and it was confirmed that the child was her ex-boyfriend’s child. 

As a result, this single-mother was able to obtain a permanent resident status of residence as a mother of a Japanese baby.

How to Make the Living

The Child Guidance Center took custody of the child because the mother was unable to make a living for several months after giving birth. She wanted to live with her child, so a lawyer introduced by the support group negotiated with the Child Guidance Center.

The lawyer also searched for a home for mothers and children where the mother and the baby could live, and they moved from an apartment to this dormitory. The lawyer negotiated with the Child Guidance Center, saying, “Now that the mother lives in the dormitory and has a better outlook on making a living, she would like to have her baby back.”, and she was able to live with her baby.

Acknowledgment of Paternity for Unmarried Women

What is the nationality (status of residence) of a child born between an unwed foreign woman and a Japanese man? Here, we explain “acknowledgment”, something that affects the child’s nationality and the foreign mother’s status of residence.

What is a home for mothers and children?

It is a facility where children under the age of 18 and their single mothers can temporarily live. It supports the mother and child in their daily lives and helps them become independent.

Problem #2: My Japanese Husband Left Me Before the Birth of My Child

A foreign woman was married to a Japanese national, living under the status of Spouse or Child of a Japanese national and was expecting a baby. However, one day, her husband left her and she lost contact with him. What will happen to the status of residence of the woman and her child?

If you want to know more, check here!

Parenting in Japan~From pregnancy to enrolling in elementary school

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