A is a resident of
Japan with ancestry usually related to its former colonies,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
or
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, specifically when those countries were under Japanese colonial rule. They had been subjects of the
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...
, but had involuntarily lost that status after the war when the
Treaty of San Francisco
The , also called the , re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and including World War II. It w ...
took effect in 1952 (i.e. former citizens of Japan and their descendants). Korean residents of Japan, known as
Zainichi Koreans
comprise ethnic Koreans who have permanent residency status in Japan or who have become Japanese citizens, and whose immigration to Japan originated before 1945, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South ...
, were permitted to naturalise and become Japanese citizens, but many hesitated to do so given anti-Korean prejudice in Japan. In accordance with the law that took effect in Japan in November 1991, Zainichi Koreans gained Special Permanent Resident status.
Although Special Permanent Residents are
unable to vote in
Japanese elections, they are usually afforded additional rights and privileges beyond those of normal
Permanent Residents
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such ...
comparable to a citizen. For example, Special Permanent Residents are not subject to immigration control under Article 5 of th
Immigration Control Act 1951 During the
coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Special Permanent Residents were allowed the right of return, while other permanent residents were denied permission to enter Japan.
As of 2021, around 296,416 people in Japan were classified as Special Permanent Residents.
''Ministry of Justice (Japan)
The is one of the cabinet level ministries of the Japanese government. It is responsible for the judicial system, correctional services, and household, property and corporate registrations,Immigration control. It also serves as the government ...
'' Retrieved 31 March 2022
References
{{reflist
Immigration to Japan