TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan’s Ministry of Justice dismissed Beijing’s objections to its recent policy change allowing Taiwanese citizens to list their nationality as “Taiwan” instead of “China” in household registries.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) criticized the decision on Monday, stating, “The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair, which brooks no foreign interference.” Guo urged Japan to “stop playing tricks on the Taiwan question and stop sending conflicting or wrong signals.”
When asked about China’s opposition at a press conference on Tuesday, Japan’s Justice Minister Suzuki Keisuke said residence cards and resident records already allow "Taiwan" to be listed, per NHK. Suzuki explained that the household registration system was simply adjusted to match this existing practice.
“This is entirely a domestic policy decision by Japan, and I don’t think there is any need to respond,” Suzuki said.
Previously, Japan’s official documents generally only recognized country names, meaning both Chinese and Taiwanese nationals were listed as "China" in household registries. Under the new policy, individuals previously classified under China can request to have their household registry updated to Taiwan.
In Japan, foreign nationals do not typically appear in household registries unless they naturalize as Japanese citizens or are adopted by a Japanese family. However, when a Japanese citizen marries a foreign national, their spouse’s name and nationality are recorded in the marriage section of the registry. This means that under the new system, Taiwanese spouses of Japanese citizens will be able to have "Taiwan" listed in the nationality/region field.
The policy shift stems from a 1964 notice issued by Japan’s justice ministry. After Japan severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1972, the ministry classified both Taiwanese and Chinese nationals under "China," rejecting both "People’s Republic of China" and "Republic of China" for different political reasons.
Taiwanese nationals have urged the Japanese government to allow Taiwan to be recorded separately, citing the importance of preserving their identity. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior, 800 to 1,000 Taiwanese nationals marry Japanese citizens each year, per CNA.
