Neglected Japanese Descendants Sought Via Poll
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The Philippine government and Japan have no record of the number of neglected Japanese descendants in the country – many of them are in Davao — because their birth certificates show their citizenship as Filipino. Worse, some Japanese fathers refuse to recognize these children as from their blood despite the Filipino mother declaring otherwise.
By Patricia Marcelo
ofwjournalism.net
QUEZON CITY – Some rely on just their surnames to carry them to Japan and, hopefully, a better life. A group here wants to help.
Since August, the Federation of Nikkei-Jin Kai Philippines Inc. is undertaking a poll of Shin-Nikkei-jin (Japanese descendant) in the Philippines who were abandoned by their Japanese fathers.
The federation of 16 groups spread throughout the archipelago perceives these people to number in the thousands but government statistics remain unavailable or inaccurate.
The Philippine government and Japan have no record of the number of neglected Japanese descendants in the country because their birth certificates show their citizenship as Filipino.
Worse, some Japanese fathers refuse to recognize these children as from their blood despite the Filipino mother declaring otherwise.
Like the mother of 17-year-old Shilla-Mei Murakami who brought her to the office of federation-member Manila-Central Luzon NIPPI (Japan-Philippines) Association Inc. for inclusion into the group’s census.
“I want to meet my father and work in Japan,” said Murakami, a single mother to a seven-month old baby.
The five-foot Murakami stopped going to school after getting pregnant during her senior year. She works as a waitress in a coffee shop in Quezon City while living with her mother, who has since retired from working as an entertainer in Japan.
Beside her is 13-year-old Toshiyuki Ito Jr., who is more fortunate: he was able to meet his father.
Since Ito’s Japanese father was an entertainment promoter in Japan, he would make it a point to visit the young Ito when he was in Manila despite separating from the mother in 1996. The young Ito was just three years old that time.
He said they went to the federation’s office to seek help since his father has stopped seeing him since December 2000.
Murakami and Ito were among the 16 Shin-Nikkei-jins who registered with the MCLNAI the day that the group began its intensive search for an estimated 100,000 Japanese descendants in the country.
The federation expects to confirm that number when they reveal partial results by November this year.
Poled poll
The Federation said it launched its nationwide three-month survey to determine the number of Shin-Nikkei-jins in the country and to help these new descendants to acquire Japanese nationality, work in Japan later on, or seek financial assistance from their Japanese parent.
Those who would register in any of the federation’s chapter offices in Quezon City, province of Iloilo and the cities of Baguio, Cebu, Zamboanga, Iligan, Cotabato and Davao, would automatically be included in the list of –and presumed as– Shin-Nikkei-jins.
Japanese descendants in the Philippines could be classified into two. There’re the Nikkei-jin, or those who were born before and during the second World War.
Shin-Nikkei-jin are those born after the war, specifically in the mid-80s, when Japanese-Filipino intermarriages increased as a result of the large number of entertainers working in Japan.
Shin-Nikkei-jins wanting to be included in that list fills up a form that bares their life history in connection with their Japanese lineage: name, birthday, and address in Japan of their father, etc.
Murakami and Ito’s mothers clutch between their fingers a Manila envelope carrying other supporting documents: birth certificate signed by the Japanese father recognizing the child as his own, marriage contract, and a photograph of the Japanese parent.
Getting registered into the federation’s database is free and hoped to gain for the descendants’ recognition of rights enjoyed by a Japanese citizen.
But Lourdes Yamaoka-Medina said they couldn’t promise that.
Not all the new descendants who would come to our office could be recognized as Japanese nationals, the 68-year-old MCLNAI Manila Chapter president said.
Hope Census
Statistics from Japan showed that since 1993 to 2004, children born between Japanese and Filipino couples and registered in the Family Registry numbered 60,307. However, the number of Shin-Nikkei-jins could be much higher as illegitimate children are unaccounted for.
Based on the 2003 NSO record of marriages in the Philippines, among the 17,095 intermarriages between Filipino brides and grooms with foreign nationals, Japanese grooms have the highest number at 5,468.
There were 155 Japanese brides and Filipino grooms during the same year, the statistics office added.
Yamaoka-Medina said while parents or the Shin-Nikkei-jins themselves could register with the federation anytime, the group will come up with the initial number of new Japanese descendants in the Philippines by November this year.
The result will be submitted to the Japanese embassy in Manila for possible action of the Japanese government to assist Shin-Nikkei-jins acquire Japanese nationality or locate their Japanese parent.
“I hope the federation can help us process the papers of my two children and gain recognition by the Japanese government as Japanese nationals so that when they grow up and decide to work in Japan, they will be allowed,” said Luz Marbella, 36, from Sorsogon.
Marbella, who is now married to a Filipino, is a mother of 9-year old boy and 7-year old girl, who she said are both Shin-Nikkei-jins.
She is not married to the father of her two children because he has his own family in Japan. However, Marbella, who worked as entertainer in Japan, said the Japanese recognized her kids as his children through the birth certificates that were submitted to the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO).
The children, however, are not registered under the Japanese Family Registry or Koseki of their father. Filipino-Japanese children included in the Koseki of their Japanese father can easily acquire Japanese nationality.
Under Japanese law, all households are required to report births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and criminal convictions to their local authority, which compiles the information into a detailed family tree that encompasses everyone within their jurisdiction.
If those pieces of information are not recorded in the Koseki, the Japanese government does not officially acknowledge them.
Still, Yamaoka-Medina said they have taken the first steps to reach this goal. (OFW Journalism Consortium Inc. )
Japanese-Filipino kids welcome new law on citizenship
September 11th, 2006 at 3:53 am
GREETINGS!
MY MOTHER IS TURNING 61 THIS OCTOBER 24, 2006 AND MY WISH FOR HER IS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER FATHER OR BE GIVEN A TOURIST VISA ATLEAST FIVE DAYS TO SEE JAPAN. WONDER IF THYE ARE GIVEN PRIORITY AFTER ALL SHE IS A NIKKEI-JIN.
THANKS
GRIFFIN
December 23rd, 2006 at 2:58 pm
i have a friend whose grandfather was a japanese. unfortunately his grandfather died in the year 1931 due to accident. marriage record would show that his grandfather was a japanese but the name was not complete. only S. Nishiguchi appeared in the name of the bride.they also have no knowledge as to whether or not her grandfather reported the birth of her father to japan. my friend wanted to avail of the previlege given by japanese government to nikki jins. I hope you can help. thank you.
January 12th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
im half japanese and hal filipino..i was born on 1988. my birth certificate have my japanese father’s signature at the back together with his name..i havent seen him after i was 2months old. i want to see my father and get to know the half part of me and i would also want to file my descendency coz i want to go to japan and work..im still using my japanese father’s name..is there any agency that could help me with this?
January 30th, 2007 at 10:54 am
My aunt had told me that we are a japanese descendants, coz she had seen our lastname in manila japanese embassy same as tru in davao japanese embassy.but as we had ask for a certification from Davao NSO they didnt give us a some coz they’re looking for our family tree. what will i do. my father could hardly trace our ancestor coz my grandfather is already dead. hope u can help us.
March 18th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
from;chriser
my family was also a descendant the grandfather of my father is japanese his name is WATARU HAYASHI.He got married to a filipino,who knows that grandmother of my father.so i interested to know this…so that i can go to japan to get a job there.so will you help me.location SANTA CRUZ DAVAO DEL SUR
August 7th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
My father was sired by a Japanese said to be an employee or officer of the Mitsui Corporation in Lepanto, Mt. Province (Now part of Benguet Province) just before the WWII. My grandmother was pregnant when her Japanese fiancee suddenly disappeared just before WWII.
Hope the MCLNAI could assist us locate our ancestor only known as “kumano”.
thanx.
September 1st, 2007 at 10:20 am
im a former entertainer in japan,last 2003-2004.i had a relationship with a japanese.he knew he got me pregnant but he still abandoned us.now my daughter is 3 years old.her surname is the same with me,the father did not sign anything.we only have his pictures and adress of his company.as a mother i want to give my lara julia a bright future.please help me.she deserves her rights.thank you and i am hoping for your warm help.GOD BLESS
September 7th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
our granda is also japanese, but we can only remember his family name, he is “Capt. Sumada” based or assigned and died here in davao city during WW2..
anybody knows him, pls. e-mail me @ http://www.badjr@hotmail.com
thnx
September 8th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
My friend is still searching and continuously searching her grandparents relative in Wakayama. However, until at present, she was not able to trace her ancestors. According to her father, while still alive, her grandfather came to the philippines and worked as carpenter. That was way back 1920. Accidentally, her grandfather, S. Nishiguchi fell down while doing carpentry work. Her grandfather was burried in the Public Cemetery of Mati, Davao Oriental but the name there is still S. Nishiguchi. It is true that her grandfather was a japanese as evidenced by a marriage contract which is still on file in the Local Civil Registrar’s Office. I hope our government can help them find a way to avail of the benefits given to descendants. Thank you very much.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:53 am
im a former entertainer in japan,last 2004-2005.i had a relationship with a japanese.he knew he got me pregnant when im arrived here in the philippines he suport me and my baby before and last october 17 2006 he came here in the philippines and he stay with me and my baby in 3 days.That time our baby is 9 months old but now he stop supporting us now my baby turning 2 years ild this coming january 2008.her surname is the same with me,the father did not sign anything.we have our pictures together i have also his address and contact number. sometimes i try to call him but he always deny my calls.as a mother i want her to have bright future. All i want is give him our child an educational support i hope he settles everything for my child need i want to secure my child future.please help me she deserves her rights.thank you and i am hoping for your warm help.GOD BLESS
September 12th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
we and my family got a prodlem of a descendant. we had known(90%) that we are a descendant of a japanese with a surname of SUMADA,the japanese consultant we went that we and my family are one of the descendants of Captain Sumada. Now we are trying to find the name of yhe said person, but we think its hard. I’ve been searching for his name but then it si so hard. we need the cooperation of the japanese people live there in japan. we NEEED your help please.^_^GOD BLess! thank you! hope you COOPERATE^_^
September 12th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
and also please give us advice on how do we get it.
September 12th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
my mother is the 2nd child of a japanese soldier who was reported missing in Bicol.My mother’s name is Fumiko while that of his brother is Ryoichi. As per record that I still keep up to this day, my grandfather is from Mago, Shiidamachi,Chikiyo-gun,Fukuoka-ken, Kyushu,Japan. My mother is now 64 years old and residing in USA. Hope you could help us find our relatives. thanks.
September 17th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
my name is quincy,my great grandfather is a japanese who came to the philippines before world war II.i am now 17 years old and living here in cagayan de oro city…my family once applied with this nikkei jin agency…we dont want to go to japan,all we wanted is to be acknowledge by the miyake there in japan that were existing here and were hoping for support….
ian_miyake@yahoo.com
thats my email add..for you to contact me in case of any progress about the nikkei jin…
September 17th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
My grandmother is a daughter of Japanese way back before World War II. His fathers name is Masayoshi Asami. My grandmothers name is Masako Asami. According to my grandmother, his father(Masayoshi Asami) is a businessmen before here in the Philippines.Masayoshi Asami is from Wakayama, Japan. Please help my grandmother trace her origin in Wakayama.
September 19th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
My husband was a Japanese and we got 3 kids. Unfortunately, since our marriage he was not able to bring us to japan. He died last July 16,2004 and left nothing to us. I dont know what to do with my kids. they all stop their studies since he died. Our life is not really good at this time. I do not have any idea if he have our marriage in their family register. I have no idea before that the birth certificate of our children must be submitted to Japanese Embassy for their citizenship. I have been asking him about that before but he always told me to wait till they reach 18 years old. Now, my eldest Erika is now 20, and miyuki 18, and my youngest son is now 16 years old. Please tell me what I have to do so I can ask help from Japanese Embassy for their education as well as for their citizenship. Or is their any information you can share to me please feel free to write me in my e-mail address. I really need it. Thank you very much.
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:14 am
greetings…
i am married to a japanese named kouji sugiyama of shizuoka, japan and is blessed with a daughter named kookie andrea sugiyama. unfortunately a month after the our church wedding on oct. 25, 2003, he went back to japan leaving me pregnant and promised he’ll be back soon before i’ll give birth. the sad thing is…up to this moment he never came back..not even a phone call or even support when i gave birth last april 11, 2004.
my marriage i believe is registered bec i have a copy of the koseki tohon. but my child is not. she is using her father’s last name but she is registered as a filipino citizen. is there any way of re-acquiring her japanese citizenship?
i am really hopeless and helpless because i already called and went to the japanese embassy and asked for assistance but what thwy told me was this: “our only concern are the japanese who are here in the philippines and not the filipinas and their children who are abandoned by their fathers” that was reall shocking and so sad to know.
i’m so glad to know that there are groups who aer looking for neglected japanese descendants. at least i know there is still hope.
please help me and my daughter. i was left with nothing by my husband but my prescious child. i love her so much and im longing for a better future for her.
i hope and pray that you could help us…God bless us all and more power to you.
November 6th, 2007 at 8:39 am
please try to find my roots TSUKIMATA,SADAJIRO from Iligan City,Lanao del norte. just write to my email address, thank you eo much, more power!!!!!!!!!!
TSUKIE-EYES
November 9th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Im still hoping that I can find my father I really missed him a lot. the last time i saw him was when im 5 years old. and now that im 21 i still have no idea where he is…
November 26th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Hi there!! I haven’t seen my dad since 1999, he left us here in Davao, not knowing what lies next to us.. We are in search of him, I hope someone can find a way and help us. I tried asking help from japanese NGO’s yet they really had a hard time searching for my father. If Anyone might meet him, or accidentally know him, please let me know, his name is YASUSHIGE SUMIYA, Born on August 1, 1929, Wakayama. He mentioned that we were in the family registration, and my problem is I don’t have his exact location in Japan. Hoping and praying that someone would just leave me a message and give me info’s on what to do, and how to find him..thanks and god bless
Hiroshi_sumiya08@yahoo.com
February 15th, 2008 at 1:43 am
miss tess matsubuchi we can assist you in your situation pls try to txt or call me at 09182514920
February 18th, 2008 at 6:07 am
i am kazunori chiba 18yrs old.my father is a japanese national but he abandoned us since my birth i never seen my father since my birth..i want to meet him and work in japan..what will i do??can you help me with my problem??pls contact me with this #3016277 or 09165402525.hoping for your humane response
February 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
willing to help u trace ur japanese relatives in japan i have arecord of japanese soldier names during ww2 return alive in japan.txt me or cal,#09162931026
June 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
yes im also the one of thousands mothers who has a children from japanese named tadanobu watanabe, we are living in japan last 1990 i got pregnant 7 months later go home in the phils. he support us in 6 months time but the family name of my twin girls is mine because we are not married at that time. i got back in japan as tourist to settle legal matters with him and he refuse to settle with me because he has a japanese wife now. and its getting worst because thou he support financially but he did not want to recognized my twins. all i want is the girls have thier rights as japanese and hopefully can have a privuledge as japanese decendanants too. thank you for your kind heart. for your answer and comment.
June 12th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
hope that all officer will make a good job, not fighting ther donor of japanese people ok
June 12th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
stop making money to the japanese donor
na kakahiya yon ok, to nkj,kai
August 26th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
konnichiwa.im a former entertainer in japan, last 2004-2005. I’m married to a japanese named kota takada and is blessed with a daughter named airi takada.he went back to japan.and promised he’ll be back soon.now my baby turning 2 years old this coming dec.2008. now stop supporting us now. i try to call but he always deny my calls. all i want is give her our child an educational support.please help me and my daughter!I’m still hoping that i can find my husband i really missed him a lot.pls try to txt or call me at 09182696588 or leave me a message and give info’s on what to do,and how to find him… salamat po.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
anybody knows him, pls.e-mail me @ rk_airi120306@yahoo.com danna no sunderutokoro desu rejidensu-kitayama 2061-176-1 kitaya-cho obu-shi aichi. sagashite kudasai! i really missed him a lot.pls. try to txt or call this # 819070572498. onesan tomomi ichiro(watakushi danna no ane desu) mail o shite kudasai! negattemasu! kodomoniwa renraku hoshi desu. mail to denwa mo dekinakute okane ga nai desu. danna no oyaniwa renraku hoshi datte ane mo.tasukete kudasai!!! sugoi shinpai desu mo danna no kazoku. shirabete kudasai! arigatou gozaimasu!!!