Name Change Trouble With College?

Hello all,

I am moving back to Japan this fall to start undergraduate studies at a university. I'm transgender and I have already started hormones and will get top surgery before I move, but I have not yet changed my name or gender marker. There's not a lot of info online about being trans in Japan so I figured I'd try to find out here.

I want to legally change my name and gender marker before I go to Japan, but I'm worried that it will cause confusion with my university since all of my documents still have my birth name on them, and I'd be changing all of my information right in the middle of my enrollment period. I also can only get one single diploma, my original high school diploma, as my high school will not make copies. This diploma has my birth name on it and I will need to give it to the university upon arrival, and I won't be able to get it back so I'll have to use photocopies for everything else.

Since it would cause a lot of confusion, I was thinking about changing my name in Japan after I got settled in school. How does the process of a foreigner changing their legal name in Japan look like? I am from the USA if that helps. Or would it be better to change it here and then just let my university know? Will they need another copy of my diploma with my new name on it? Because my high school refuses to provide anything but the original. What about transcripts? Can I just submit the court order as legal proof of my name change once I get it done? I definitely at least want to do the gender marker change here, since apparently to get it in Japan you have to be sterilized first, which I'm guessing means hysterectomy and I don't have the money for that right now.

Another thing I am worried about: I don't know if there are legal protections in Japan (Tokyo specifically) for transgender people. I have gotten accepted by the university and am waiting on my COE, and the school doesn't know that I'm transgender. I'm really scared that once they find out I'm trans, they may think it is too much work to deal with and revoke my admission or something like that. Are universities in Tokyo allowed to discriminate? If they are, what are the chances they will actually do it?

If all else is answered, can anyone recommend the best student insurance in Japan that can help cover testosterone? And what is a good clinic in Tokyo to get it?

Thanks all

For most of the questions you have, I donft have an answer, but there is one thing: if your high school gives just one original diploma certificate and thatfs it, never give out the original to the college (or whoever) if they are not giving it back. Youfd take a photocopy, take the original AND the photocopy together, show them together (so that they can tell itfs genuine), and give just the photocopy. Tell them your high school does not give out extra transcripts (official duplicates).

I donft know how it works in the States, but I believe it is only the US authorities who can deal with the name change of US citizens. Meaning, just because you will be in Japan does not mean you go through the gJapaneseh system for a name change with the Japanese authorities. So Ifd say get the name change done while in the States, bring the court paper stating the previous AND the new names on it (that should suffice to show that the person who applied for the college IS the same person who came to Japan). I guess that would affect your passport too, which will be the official ID for you while you are here.
Best wishes.

It is very simple. You need to finish all the conversion processes before to start your applications. Otherwise, wait a year.

As you have highlighted, it is all confusing. And I would not expect much help from a country that you are not a passport holder and-or resident of.

I'm really scared that once they find out I'm trans, they may think it is too much work to deal with and revoke my admission or something like that. Are universities in Tokyo allowed to discriminate?

No, discrimination of any kind is against the law in Japan. A school cannot accept a student and then cancel the acceptance just because the student is transgender. If they happen to do so, you can seek free law consulting service often available at city halls. But there are all-girls schools and all-boys schools in Japan, and if your university is one of them, things may become complicated.

I also can only get one single diploma, my original high school diploma, as my high school will not make copies. This diploma has my birth name on it and I will need to give it to the university upon arrival, and I won't be able to get it back
That sounds fishy to me. Do you mean the actual diploma certificate - I would never give that away, as you will need the original elsewhere in life. They can take a official/certified copy, but they need to give it back.
Do you mean an official transcript? That would be much more likely.