JFC, Kota visited our office on Oct.1st. He was legally recognized as his Japanese father after his death. Kota is 31 years old. It was a very long journey to find his father. By the time he found his father, his father had already passed away, and his greatest dream of meeting his father became unattainable, but Kota is now truly happy to be recognized as a child of Japanese father.

コウタさんの話を少しさせてください。1998年、コウタさんのお母さんからマリガヤハウスで相談を受けました。当時、コウタさんは9歳、弟のコウジさんは５才でした。コウタさんのお母さんから頂いたお父さんの住所で住民票を取ることができたのですが、その住所にはお父さんは暮らしてなく、近所の人に聞いてもどこに行ったのか分かりませんでした。お父さんが見つからない限り何もできず、コウタさんのケースは打切られました。

Let us tell you a little about Kota’s story. In 1998, we received a consultation from Kota’s mother at Maligaya House. Kota was 9 years old and his younger brother Koji was 5 years old. We were able to get a residence certificate for his father’s address, which was given to us by his mother, but his father did not live at that address, and we did not know where he had gone even though we asked our neighbors. Nothing could be done until his father was found, and Kota’s case was canceled.

2019年、コウタさんから東京の事務所に連絡がありました。コウタさんは技術・人文・国際業務の在留資格で来日して日本で働いていました。1998年当時、コウタさんのお母さんに渡していた「打切届」を持参し、「どうしても、もう一度お父さんを探してほしい」というのがコウタさんの希望でした。

In 2019, Mr. Kota contacted our office in Tokyo. He brought with him the “Notice of Cancellation” that we had given to his mother in 1998, and said that he really wanted us to look for his father again.

もう一度、コウタさんのケースの書類を確認すると、お父さんの職場の名刺、コウタさんとコウジさんを自分の子どもだと認めた「Affidavit」にお父さんの署名とパスポート番号がありました。

When we checked the documents in Kota’s case again, we found his father’s business card from his workplace, his signature and passport number on the “Affidavit” acknowledging Kota and Koji as his sons.

もし仮に、お父さんが見つからず行方不明のままだとしても、自分の子どもだと認めた「Affidavit」があれば、裁判で認知の判決がもらえる可能性はあるかもしれないと思い、コウタさんにその可能性に掛けてみようと伝えました。

We told Mr. Kota that even if we could not be found and was still missing, there was a possibility that he could be recognized in court if he had an “Affidavit” acknowledging them as his sons.

弁護士さんに受任をして頂き、お父さんの住民票を再び取ってもらったところ、コウタさんのお父さんは2年前にすでに亡くなっていることが分かりました。

The lawyer took over the case, and when he got his father’s resident registration again, we found out that Kota’s father had already passed away two years ago.

コウタさんは産まれてからずっと「お父さんに会いたい」という夢を持ち続けてきただけに、お父さんが亡くなっていた事実は大きな衝撃でした。

The fact that his father had passed away came as a great shock to Kota, who had always dreamed of meeting his father since he was born.

それでも、日本の法律では死後3年以内であれば認知請求ができるため、認知の請求を続けることにしました。

Even so, he decided to continue with the demand for recognition, because under Japanese law, it is possible to demand recognition within three years of death.

そして、2021年8月、日本の裁判所でコウタさんとコウジさんは日本人の父の子として認められる判決を得ました。DNA鑑定も実施せず、日本の裁判所でお母さんの尋問も実施しませんでした。

In August 2021, a Japanese court ruled that Kota and Koji were recognized as the children of their Japanese father without conducting a DNA test or questioning their mother in a Japanese court.

コウタさんはとても頑張り屋さんで日本語検定3級を持っています。もっと勉強して日本語検定2級を取りたいそうです。そして、日本人の子としての在留資格に変更して、今後も日本で暮らしていきたいと言っています。その後は帰化して日本国籍の取得にチャレンジしてみたいそうです。

Kota is a very hard worker and has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 3. He would like to study harder and get his Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2. He would like to change his status of residence to that of a child of Japanese national and continue to live in Japan. After that, he would like to try to apply for naturalization to obtain Japanese nationality.

コウタさんは20才を過ぎてしまったので認知を得ても日本国籍を得る機会はありません。それでも、コウタさんの選んだ日本の名前は「幸多」。幸せがたくさん。私たちスタッフは幸多さんの将来が幸せで満たされることを心から願います。

Kota is over 20 years old, so even if he is recognized by his Japanese father, he will not have the opportunity to become a Japanese nationality. Still, Kota’s chosen name for Japan is “幸多（Happiness, many）. We sincerely hope that Kota’s future will be filled with happiness.