Japanese Naturalization

Hi everyone,

2 years ago, I applied for Japanese naturalization, and today, I have finally got a phone call from them, talking about renouncing my current citizenship. I was not sure what the person was talking about, but I do know he was talking about renouncing my current citizenship, they want us to called the embassy of my country. but I wasn't sure if it is some kind of document or proofs they are looking for. It was outside and the noise was crazy. My Japanese is not perfect but I will try to call them tomorrow again to ask what exactly they want.

I know it is easier to just call them instead of asking here, but it kinda make me calm to know what to expect before I actually call again. Does anyone know which stage or phase I am in? Am I officially in the "I got it!" zone or group?

Much appreciated guys!

They can't require you to renounce your other citizenships before granting naturalisation, asthat would make you stateless and most countries don't allow it.

My understanding is that you have some number of months (3? 6? 12? something like that) to renounce your previous citizenship after acquiring your new Japanese citizenship (failure to do so is grounds to lose your Japanese citizenship.) So if the call was to tell you that you need to renounce your old citizenship, that does indeed imply you're already a Japanese citizen. Or they could also have just been calling to make sure you are prepared to do so, not actually telling you to do it yet. Either way probably a good sign, since if they knew they were going to reject you they wouldn't have bothered to talk to you about it.

The delay is 2 years, after which they may indeed strip you of your citizenship. If they do, however, you will have the consolation of being all over the news, as that would be a first.

you will have the consolation of being all over the news, as that would be a first.

Not really, I already heard about several cases like this one:
https://www.turning-japanese.info/2014/06/revoked.html

Goes to show that you really can't trust what officials say...

You're probably thinking of dual nationals by birth (the only way to acquire dual nationality as a Japanese.) No Japanese citizen by birth has been stripped of their citizenship for failing to choose when they come of age, which the law technically requires but is unenforced. If that were to happen it would indeed be in the news.

No Japanese citizen by birth has been stripped of their citizenship for failing to choose when they come of age

That's funny because I was actually reading this column yesterday:
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005662887

The column was published on April 17, 2019 (2 days ago).
In the last couple of decades, however, word got around in Japanese expatriate communities in the United States that the Japanese government was grelaxingh its interpretation of the Nationality Law and gturning a blind eyeh to those who obtain a second citizenship. I wondered if those questions about gother citizenshiph meant that the Nationality Law had been finally changed. But the comment by the consulate clerk eliminated this possibility.

I said dual national by birth. The article you link to refers to a different situation - a Japanese citizen who later chose to become a naturalized citizen of another country, thus forfeiting their Japanese citizenship.