Rafael Caetano <rcaetano7@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message news:<c2p9o6$204s6p$1@ID-224867.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> mr.sumo.snr wrote:
> 
> > "Rafael Caetano" <rcaetano7@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
>  (...)
> >>I don't know the rules, but the people I know were born in Brazil to
> >>Japanese (as in born in Japan) parents. They have both Brazilian and
> >>Japanese passports.
> >>I still don't understand. If Japan forces them to give up their other
> >>citizenship, what does it matter whether Brazil does the same?
> >>
> >>Is it that Japan doesn't have the means to _enforce_ the rule? I
> >>wouldn't think so, because the Japanese consulate in Brazil is well
> >>aware of people above 18 with double citizenship.
> >>Perhaps it's a exception to Brazilians?
> >>
> > 
> > 
> > As I facetiously alluded to in another post, I expect the Japanese
> > immigration authorities have better things to do with their time than track
> > down these "past their use by date" holders of dual nationality status.
> 
> I've checked the consulate website. You should choose one of the 
> nationalities before turning 22. BUT that law holds only for people who 
> were born in 1985 or later.

What's also very significant is the METHOD in which Japan
requires the person to "choose".  As I understand it,
Japan requires the person to affirm to the Japanese 
authorities that he chooses Japanese citizenship
over his "other" citizenship.  Because this choice
was not made before the "other" country's officials,
it very often will not result in loss of the other
country's citizenship, despite what he told to Japan.

What Japan does NOT do, is to require that the person go 
to the officials of his other country and formally
give up that country's citizenship under the other 
country's laws, and then to present a document from
other country stating that he is no longer one of 
their citizens.  If Japan wanted to really be sure 
that a choice was truly made, then they would require this.
There are, in fact, a few countries that do require
this.

Stephen Gallagher