[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

But I think if you understand the nature Japan's national identity (put simply it emphasizes geneology rather than ideology) then in order for you to be able to achieve citizenship which relates to national identity then you have the uphill task of challenging to some extent, the very national identity with which Japan in general believes in. What is surprising to me is that some people are willing to do that.

I don`t think I`m misunderstanding you, if I go by what you say above. You are saying that it is surprising (and perhaps puzzling) that someone not of Japanese descent would want to gain citizenship in Japan. Because they will never *be* Japanese because of the sheer nature of Japan itself. Correct?
This is the feeling that I usually encounter, and it`s exactly what I`m trying to present my feelings about.

I`m not trying to challenge anything. I don`t feel that I am challenging anything. Japanese citizenship and Japanese ethnic identity are two very different things - but as Japanese citizens are for the large part ethnically Japanese... it`s very easy to make the two issues into one.
To support what I am saying - Someone can be born and raised in the US, but consider themselves, say, Chinese due to their genealogy. Regardless of what citizenship I may have, my ethnic identity will not change. I am not trying to change my ethnicity. Even in the US, the great example everyone gives of a country where immigration is a part of life... People who are not either straight white or black are almost *always* asked where they are from on a regular basis. I have a (or rather *had* - I haven`t spoken to her in years) a friend in the US whose grandparents immigrated to the US from China. Her parents were born and raised in the US, never visited China, and did not speak any Chinese. Needless to say neither did she. But she was asked, almost daily, where she was from. If she answered "America", they`d say "No, I mean where you`re really from."
Being as most everyone I know in Japan has been surprised to hear that I didn`t have Japanese citizenship automatically through marriage, I have a feeling that most people in Japan also recognize citizenship as something separate from ethnicity.

In essence I'm not really downplaying someone's desire for citizenship based on MY views of what citizenship means. Rather downplaying the desire of those that seek citizenship in a country based on whether or not it goes against the general view of what citizenship means to that particular country.

So... Being as the general view of citizenship in Japan is Japanese ethnicity, you are downplaying my desire to have Japanese citizenship. The destination is the same regardless of how you word it.

For what it's worth though I do think the Japanese government needs to cut you some slack though via the fact that you are married to a Japanese citizen who lives in Japan.

They do. They make it much easier for me to obtain citizenship.