Should I Change My Name?

[nickr]

I've been in Japan for 23 years, and having a middle name has been a major obstacle.

Over the years, I've registered under so many variations for my name in order to satisfy whichever service I'm signing up for. Some with my middle name, some without, some in Katakana with my middle name, others without. Some in the English order, others reversed, some with my first and middle name glued together, others with a different Katakana spelling of my name.

Somehow I've fumbled through and have numerous bank accounts, insurance policies and ID cards, each with their own unique twist on my name.

Just recently, Rakuten have been making it very difficult to sign up for anything. I managed to get a credit card through them (by gluing my first and middle names together), and it took some calls to customer service before I could finally deposit just 10,000 yen in Rakuten Shoken. But now I've run into road blocks with their iDeCo submission process, and my Rakuten Bank account application has been rejected for yet unknown reasons - almost certainly my name.

So, if you wanted to do a complete reset on your name, how would you do it?

As far as I can see, I have two options. One is naturalization. It's something I'll probably want to do eventually, but not just yet. The other option seems to be to change my name on my UK passport (scrapping the middle name), and then hoping I can start untangling the mess I've made.

[zeroshiki]

A less drastic strategy would be to have a registered alias. You can start calling yourself whatever you want, register it in city hall and then you can use it on your various services. Note that I don't know how it works with stuff that requires MyNumber like Rakuten Securities.

[RetireJapan]

A less drastic strategy would be to have a registered alias. You can start calling yourself whatever you want, register it in city hall and then you can use it on your various services. Note that I don't know how it works with stuff that requires MyNumber like Rakuten Securities.

It's becoming more difficult to use an alias with banks and brokers. I have a kanji alias, and was able to open a Monex account in that name, but they later (very politely) asked me to change it to my passport name.

Also planning to naturalise, partially due to the name thing

[mighty58]

Although I sympathize as I've experienced similar things, and without meaning to sound facetious, but it sounds pretty extreme to go as far as officially changing your name for the dubious benefit of diving headlong into the Rakuten ecosystem.

[nickr]

I actually have an alias, but that too is wrong. It's my first name and last name in Katakana in that order, instead of the Japanese order.

Most of these problems came about by staff at City Hall, banks, credit card companies, etc. forcing through a version of my name that works for their service.

It's not just Rakuten. That's just the latest example. If I give up on Rakuten and try to open a bank account at AEON, apply for iDeCo through SBI, or try to get a credit card from Amazon (all just examples), I'm going to face the same problems.

Perhaps I don't have any choice, though. Changing my passport name would probably make Japan think I was somebody completely different and nullify my permanent residency status. Wouldn't that be fun, lol.

[JapaneseMike]

I had similar issues, but I didn't consider anything drastic like changing my name.

My wife & I agreed that our kids wouldn't have middle names though. Not a solution, but a way to prevent hassles for them

[kuma]

== warning: long post, as was interested in potential solutions ==

Interesting idea to remove middle name on UK passport; didn't know that could be done relatively straightforwardly (relatively, as you need evidence of usage of 'new' name). Posting link here for others interested:
https://www.gov.uk/changing-passport-in ... ames-title

A bit chicken and egg -- you would need documents with your 'new' name in order to change your name on your passport. Then presumably zairyu card, banks. As you say, it would take some untangling. Among the assortment of name renderings, do you have documents that would likely pass muster?

Other than that section about 'minor' name changes, the gov.uk source states three options for name changes:

a deed poll
a statutory declaration
an affidavit

https://www.gov.uk/changing-passport-in ... -documents

Further info here (PDF): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... a_name.pdf

Of this trio, I wonder if the affidavit is something that could be notarised by the British Embassy in Tokyo, just as they notarise affidavits for British citizens wishing to get married in Japan. If so, that might be the easiest of the three. However, it's not on their service list (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-an ... -for-japan), and embassies aren't known for their flexibility, so...

Don't know about the statutory declaration.

The deed poll door is is slightly ajar for non-resident British nationals to apply, despite the no-can-do message on the gov.uk summary page:

If you’re a permanent resident overseas, you cannot change your name by deed poll.

The actual legislation says this:

If the applicant is resident outside the United Kingdom, he must provide evidence that such residence is not intended to be permanent and the applicant may be required to produce a certificate by a solicitor as to the nature and probable duration of such residence.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/604/made

And at least one firm of paralegals suggests they can help process an application from a non-resident British national:

Generally, a deed poll issued by us will not help you change your name. However, if you have a specific reason to apply for a deed poll anyway, we are happy to process your application.

https://deedpolloffice.com/change-name/ ... nal-abroad

If deed poll is worthy of exploring further, this document (PDF) details the process: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... lt-eng.pdf

Worth researching from the Japanese side what evidence Immigration would want to see for the changed name, and what the process is: https://www.isa.go.jp/en/applications/p ... 00009.html

When looking here, I noticed there was a form for kanji name to be displayed on zairyu card: http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004177.pdf

Could that be a curveball suggestion to resolve the name issue? Has anyone using an alias tried to do so via the zairyu card route rather than the city hall?

[RetireJapan]

When looking here, I noticed there was a form for kanji name to be displayed on zairyu card: http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004177.pdf

That is *very* interesting, because I used to have my alias in kanji on my alien registration card. Then when it changed to zairyu card, the immigration office was adamant that it was not possible to include it.

I actually wasted 30 minutes arguing with them about it.

Might print this out and see if I can get it processed (immigration office is just down the road).

[nickr]

@kuma, Thanks so much for such a detailed reply. There's an awful lot involved, eh? My initial reaction to seeing the possible steps laid out like that is to give up the idea.

I think it's probably best for me to accept that registration trouble is inevitable, but not an impenetrable wall - it just takes some patience, time and extra work. And it's not forever. It'll resolve itself in 30 to 40 years, and I've ensured the problem isn't passed down to my son, who has his mum's surname and no middle name.

And then there's always the option of naturalization of course. I wonder, would it better to take Japanese citizenship *after* both parents are gone and any inheritance received, or before?

[RetireJapan]

Might print this out and see if I can get it processed (immigration office is just down the road).

Although I suspect this is for people whose names are in kanji originally (Chinese, etc.).