Court Says Japan's Dual Nationality Ban Is Constitutional

A Japanese court on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit filed by a Japanese-born US citizen claiming the country's nationality law, which denies dual nationality, is unconstitutional.

Article 11 stipulates that Japanese citizens automatically lose their nationality upon acquiring a foreign nationality.

Yuri Kondo, 76, residing in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, filed the suit, arguing that acquiring US citizenship should not have automatically stripped her of her Japanese nationality.

Born in Japan, Kondo moved to the US in 1971 to attend graduate school and later practiced law in Arizona.

After acquiring US citizenship in 2004, she successfully renewed her Japanese passport when she returned to Japan in 2008. However, her application for renewal in 2017 was rejected, and she is currently staying in Japan on her US passport.

Kondo asserts that Article 11 of the nationality law violated her rights by taking away her nationality against her will. Article 11 stipulates that Japanese citizens automatically lose their nationality upon acquiring a foreign nationality.

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