「私は日本人だ。」
I’m Japanese.
未だに、その事実は信じられない。
To be honest, I still can’t believe it.
アメリカ生まれ、アメリカ育ちの私アン・クレシーニ は、２０２３年１１月２１日に日本国籍を取得して、クレシーニ アンになった。法務局から電話がかかってきた瞬間、一番追いかけてきた夢が叶った。
Me, who was born and raised in the U.S., became a Japanese citizen on November 21, 2023, and Anne Crescini became Crescini Anne. When I got the call, the biggest dream that I have had so far in my life came true.
国籍を変えることは、とんでもなく大きな決断だ。特に、二つの大きな壁を超えないといけない。まず、日本は二重国籍を認めないから、母国の国籍を放棄しないといけない。つまり、私はアメリカ国籍じゃなくなる。旦那と娘3人はアメリカ国籍のままです。４９歳にもなって、わざわざ家族と違う国籍になる人は、そんなにいないと思うけど、そこまでしても日本人になることは私の夢だった。
It is a huge decision to change one’s nationality, I think there are big obstacles in particular that people have to overcome before they decide to do it. First of all, Japan doesn’t allow dual citizenship, which means that you have to renounce citizenship of the country of your birth. For me, that means that I will have different citizenship from my husband and three daughters—all of whom are U.S. citizens. Not many people go through the trouble of intentionally taking different citizenship from their family at the ripe old age of 49, but that is how deeply I love Japan and yearned to be Japanese.
二つ目の壁は、帰化申請のプロセス。とんでもなく大変です。必要な時間、お金、そしてエネルギーは半端ない。けど、大変だからこそ意味があると、私は思う。
The second obstacle is the naturalization process, which is incredibly long and complicated. It takes an enormous amount of time, money, and energy. But to me, it means so much because it is so hard.
この二つの壁を乗り越えられる人だけに、帰化申請が可能になる。毎年、およそ8000人の外国籍の方が日本国籍を取得する。そんなに多いの？と思っているかもしれないけど、母国のアメリカでは毎日６８万人が帰化する。桁が違うよね。
Those who can overcome these two obstacles apply for Japanese citizenship. Every year, about 8000 foreign nationals gain Japanese nationality. This may seem like a lot to you, but to put it into perspective, around 680,000 people are awarded U.S. citizenship every year. Apples and oranges, don’t you think?
とにかく、日本人になった日の喜びは半端なかった。しばらく周りの人に「ね！ね！聞いて！私は日本人だよ！」と言い続けたし、SNS上で、どれだれ日本人であることを誇りに思っているかと、ずっと発信した。けど、その後すぐ、X（旧ツイッター）でえぐい誹謗中傷を受けはじめた。
I cannot even express how great it feels to be Japanese. For the first week or so, I was constantly telling my friend, “Hey, guess what? I’m Japanese! I’m Japanese!” I also was spewing my joy all over Twitter. It went great for a while, but then, all of a sudden, a started getting a lot of hate there.
「あなたは日本人じゃない！日本国民だよ！」「人種盗用だよ！」「あなたは日本国籍のある外人だ」など、相次いで批判を浴びた。何で、私を「日本人」として認めたくない人が、こんなにもたくさんいるの？そもそも「日本人」の定義って何？「日本国民」の定義と、どう違う？
For example, some people would say, “You are not Japanese! You are just a Japanese citizen.” Or “Stop with the racial appropriation.” It seemed like the haters all gathered together on Twitter to bash on me. For me, while it hurt to hear that hate, I couldn’t really understand why people were so against calling me “Japanese.” And what was the difference between being “a Japanese” and “a Japanese citizen?”
今回の件は「日本人」の定義について考えるきっかけになった。日本に住んでいる多くの人は、「日本人は。。」「外国人は。。」と何も考えずに言っていると思うけど、「日本人」は一体誰を指している？そして、日本人であるかどうか、誰が決めるの？政府？本人？それか、周りの人？遺伝子で決まる？それか、国籍？もしかしたら言語かも？いや、アイデンティティー？
So, this while experience has given me the chance to think about what it means to be Japanese. Many around me often say things without thinking like “Japanese people…” or “Foreigners…” But what does that mean? Who is Japanese? Who is a foreigner? And who decides? Is it the government? Or the person themselves? Or maybe the people around them? Is Japanese decided by DNA? Or citizenship? Or maybe one’s native language? Or perhaps it is decided by one’s identity?
今回の記事では、皆さんと一緒に「日本人」の定義について考えていきたいと思う。けど、その前に、なんで私は４９歳で日本人になりたいと思うようになったかついて、簡単に説明させてね。
Today I want to think with all of you what it means to be Japanese. But before I do that, I want to tell you why I decided at age 49 I decided I wanted to be Japanese in the first place.
私は２４歳の時、始めて来日した。当時の私は日本語も日本文化の知識も全くなかった。和食が嫌いだったし、家が寒すぎて死ぬかと思った。そして、友達がいなかったから、孤独な毎日がしばらく続いていた。けど、一番の悩みは、日本語を話せなかったことです。言葉がわからないと本当に何もできないと実感した。毎日、説明ができないぐらい精神的にしんどかった。とにかく、日本が嫌いで嫌いで仕方がなかった。
I came to Japan for the first time when I was 24 years old. I knew absolutely nothing about Japan or Japanese culture. I hated Japanese food, the houses here were freezing cold, and I had zero friends. I was lonely and sad most of the time. But the biggest problem of all was my total lack of Japanese ability. I realized that if you can’t understand a language you really can’t do anything. Trying to do what was necessary for basic daily life, like shopping or going out to eat, was mentally exhausting. To put it simply, I hated Japan with every fiber of my being.
その時の唯一の救いは、カラオケだった。カラオケでKiroroの音楽に出会ったおかげで、日本語も日本文化も好きになった。Kiroroの曲を全部歌えるようになるまで必死に練習した。
There was only one thing I really liked, and that was karaoke. It was there that I met Kiroro, and through them saw the beauty of both Japan and the Japanese culture. I worked my tail off until I was able to sing all of their songs.
そのうち、簡単な日本語が話せるようになった。どれだけ言葉が大事であるかに気づかされた。言葉は人間と人間を繋ぐ。日本語が話せば話せるほど日常生活は楽しくなると日々感じた。
It wasn’t long before I found myself able to have simple conversations in Japanese. And I became happy. It was then that I realized just how important language is. Language connects people. And because Japanese connected me to Japanese people, I found that I was enjoying my life in this cold country more and more.
いつか、Kiroroの二人に会えたら、お礼を言いたいなぁ。
I hope I can get the chance to thank Kiroro one day.
それでも、ずっと日本に住むと思わなかった。私はアメリカ人で、アメリカ人のアイデンティティーがすごく強かったです。日本文化や日本語の勉強は楽しいけど、いずれアメリカに帰ると思っていた。
But still, I never thought I would want to spend the rest of my life in Japan. I was an American, and my American identity was strong. I liked living in Japan and studying Japanese, but I was sure that one day I would return to the U.S. and live there for good.
けど実際は、なかなかアメリカに帰らなかった。３年は５年になって、５年は１０年になって、１０年は１５年になった。そして、２０１４年に家族５人で日本の永住資格を取得した。
But it was hard to leave. Three years turned into five, five turned into ten, and ten turned into fifteen. And then, in 2014, my family of five got permanent residency in Japan.
２０１４の夏から２０１５年の夏まで、大学の交換教員としてアメリカに移った。すごく充実した時間だったけど、大きな気づきがあった。私の居場所は日本だ。ずっと日本に住みたい。日本に戻った日の「帰ってきたぞー！」感は、半端なかったです。
Soon after gaining permanent residency, we went to the U.S. for a year, as I was granted a teaching sabbatical there. It was great to be in the U.S. again with family and friends, but I realized something huge. Japan was my home, and I wanted to live there forever. After returning to Japan in the summer of 2015, the sense that I was really “home” was incredibly strong.
その後、色んな出会いと経験のおかげで、もっともっと日本を好きになった。今まで無意識の偏見があったことに気づいた。「アメリカの方が良い」「アメリカみたいになった方がいい」という上から目線がなくなって、日本を尊重し、日本のことをもっと知りたいなと思うようになった。そのおかげで、日本の心が少しずつ見えてきた。説明しにくいけど、日本を知りたい！日本語を知りたい！という欲がすごく湧いてきた。ただただ、それだけだ。
After that, thanks to a lot of life-changing experiences and meeting new amazing people, I found myself loving Japan more and more. I realized that I had had a lot of unconscious bias and prejudice towards Japan, and I like it here but would often think, “America is better regarding this or that” or “Japan should change and do like we do in the U.S.” But the longer I lived here, that sense of “my culture is better than yours” began to fade away, and I began to love and respect Japan for who she was, and longed to understand its culture and worldview better. As a result, I felt like I could really see Japan for the first time. It is kinda hard to put into words, but the feeling of wanting to know Japan and everything about it was strong and overflowing from me kind of like lava from a volcano.
けど、今振り返ってみると、当時の私は日本の良いところしか見てなかったかもしれない。たくさん良い経験があったし、たくさんの素敵な方に出会った。そして、日本料理のおかげで長年戦ってきた摂食障害を克服した。摂食障害で死にそうになっていた私は、日本文化に救われたと言っても過言じゃないと思う。その感謝の気持ちで溢れていたから、日本の良いところしか見えない時期があった。
But looking back on that time in my life, I realized that maybe I was only able to see the good things, the beautiful things about Japan. I had a lot of wonderful experiences and met truly lovely people. And the most life-changing thing of all was that learning how to cook Japanese food and the worldview behind the food culture helped me to overcome a crippling eating disorder that I had been battling most of my life. I think I can even say that Japanese culture saved my life. I was overwhelmed with gratitude to Japan, but perhaps that gratitude made it hard to see anything but the good stuff.
けど、コロナの影響で、日本の醜いところがはっきり見えてきた。政府の水際対策で、久しぶりに私は自分が「外国人」だと強く感じた。永住者を含めて、全ての「外国人」は入国と再入国ができない時期があった。正直、観光客と同じ扱いをされるショックは大きかった。こんなに深く日本を愛しているのに、こんなに社会貢献をしているのに、やっぱり、私はいつまでもただのガイジンだ。どんなに日本語を話せても、どんなに社会に馴染もうとしても、ずっとガイジンだ。「日本人」と「外国人」の間にある壁の高さを全身で感じた。この高い壁を乗り越えることは無理だ。
But the COVID-19 pandemic changed all of that. Thanks to COVID, I was exposed to the very ugliest of Japan, and I didn’t like it at all. With the implementation of harsh standards for entering the country, I felt the reality of my “foreignness” for the first time in a long time. There was a period of time when all foreign passport holders, including those with permanent residency like myself, were not allowed entry into Japan. To be honest, to be treated exactly the same as a tourist was an experience that shook my entire being and my tested my love for Japan. No matter how deeply I loved this country, or how much I poured my heart into making Japanese society better, I was still just a foreigner. It didn’t matter how well I spoke Japanese or tried to fit into Japanese society, I would always be just a foreigner. I felt there was this huge wall between the Japanese and its foreign community, a wall too high to ever really overcome.
その壁のせいで、コロナ禍の初期の頃に亡くなった大好きな父の葬式に、すぐは行けなかった。
It was that wall that kept me from being able to return to the U.S. to say goodbye my Dad who passed about early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
当時の私の感情は複雑だった。最初、日本がすごく嫌だった。その後、深い悲しみを感じた。最後に、諦めた。もし、日本人と同じ扱いをして欲しかったら、日本人になるしかない。日本はいつか変わると信じたいけど、すぐには変わるわけがない。だから、ありのままの日本を愛することに決めた。
My feelings at that time were incredibly complicated and ever changing. At first, I resented Japan deeply. Then I felt deep sadness. Finally, I gave up. I decided that if I want to be treated as a Japanese, then I have to become one. I believe that Japan will change one day, but in reality, it isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So I decided to love Japan as she is now, unconditionally.
そして、２０２３年１１月２１日、私は日本人になった。帰化申請をしてから約８ヶ月かかった。割と早かったと言われたけど、自分にとっては、すごく長い旅だった。
So, I applied for Japanese citizenship. On November 21, 2023, I became Japanese-8 months after I turned in my application. Those around me said that it was faster than it was for most, but for me, it felt like an incredibly long journey.
帰化した。
I naturalized to Japan.
日本国籍を取得した。
I was granted Japanese citizenship.
日本人になった。
I became Japanese.
この表現は大体同じ意味だけど、心への響き方は全然違う。
These three phrases mean basically the same thing but they resonate in my heart quite differently.
やっぱり、「帰化した」と「日本国籍を取得した」は、お役所感が強い。けど、「日本人になった」は、私の心に強く響く表現だ。周りの人たちと仲間になったって感じだ。
To “naturalize” or “to be granted Japanese citizenship” sound very legal and official. But “to become Japanese” feels more emotional, and is a phrase that bonds me more deeply to the Japanese people around me.
「日本人になった」ことが嬉しすぎたから、しばらく毎日胸を張って、X（旧ツイッター）にずっとその幸せな気持ちを発信した。「日本人になったバイ！幸せ！」みたいな投稿が多かった。それで、１週間にフォロワー数が１万人ぐらい増えていて、何を書いても、私の投稿はバズった。色んな方が「応援していますよ！」と言ってくれたり、知らない方々からプレゼントをもらったりした。全国の日本人が私を応援してくれている感じがしたから、感謝の気持ちで溢れていた。
I was so overwhelmingly excited about becoming Japanese that for an about a week I tweeted exuberantly about my new status on X, saying things like “ I can’t believe I am really Japanese!” and “I am so happy to finally be Japanese!” It seemed like my excitement was contagious, and no matter what I posted, it went viral. As a result, I gained over 10,000 new followers in only a week. Almost all of them were cheering me on, sharing in my excitement about become a fellow Japanese. I was overwhelmed with gratitude at the love and the support that was show me.
けど、同時にこういうコメントも来た。
But at the same time, I got some comments like this.
「あなたは、日本人じゃなくて、日本国民だよ。」
You are not Japanese. You are a Japanese citizen.
「新人日本人、黙れ！」
Hey newbie Japanese. Shut up!
「あなたは日本国籍を持っている外国人に過ぎない。」
You aren’t Japanese. You are just a foreigner with Japanese citizenship.
「日本から出て欲しい」
I want you to leave Japan.
「自分の国に帰れ！」
Go back to your country!
「あなたは日本生まれじゃないから日本人じゃない。」
You weren’t born here, so you aren’t Japanese.
周りの友達に「あの人たちは、少数派だから無視して！」と言われたけど、なかなか無視ができなかったなぁ。何で私を日本人として認めたくないの？ふーん。
My friends were like, “Those guys are just the noisy minority. Ignore them.” Of course, this is very sound advice, but much easier said than done. I just couldn’t understand why these people were so against accepting me as “Japanese.”
ちなみに、私は結構前から「日本人」って、一体何だろう？とずっと考えている。私たちは毎日、「日本人は。。」「日本人はこう思う」などと普通に言うけど、もしかしたら、その「日本人」の定義は誰も深く考えていないかもしれない。だって、同じ日本人でも価値観や考え方は全然違う、「日本人」の定義は何だろう？
This is actually a topic that I have been interested in for quite a while. What does it exactly mean to be “Japanese?” We often say stuff like “We Japanese…” in daily conversation, but perhaps most people have never thought deeply about what it means to be Japanese. It you think about it, even Japan-born Japanese have completely different values and opinions on things. So can we really say, “We Japanese…?” What is a “Japanese” anyway?
だから、この１年間、講演会で、「日本人の定義は何ですか」と参加者に聞いている。大人にも子供にも、たくさんの人に聞いている。
So for the past year or so, I have been asking people of all backgrounds, genders and ages this question at lectures that I have done around the country. What is the definition of a “Japanese?”
大人が一番多く言うのは、もちろん「国籍」です。けど、そうすると、同じ部屋にいる子供達は、「国籍ってなん？」と聞いてくる。
Many adults will respond with the most straightforward and expected response—a Japanese is someone with Japanese citizenship. But then the kids in the room will be like, what is citizenship?
「国籍」を説明するのは難しいです。
Citizenship is a hard concept to explain to kids.
「日本のパスポートがあると日本国籍だよ！」と言ったらわかりやすいかもしれないけど、パスポートを持っている日本人はわずかの１８％です。もちろん、パスポートを持っていない82％にも日本国籍はある。
You can say, “A Japanese citizen is someone who has a Japanese passport.” But then again, only 18% of Japanese citizens have a passport. Not having a passport doesn’t make them not Japanese.
「戸籍のある人！」と言ったら一番正確だけど、小学生は「戸籍」はわからないだろう。
The most accurate way to describe citizenship is say one’s name is on a koseki, or family register. But elementary school kids don’t really know what that is, I think.
子供に「日本人の定義はなんですか？」と聞くと、色んな面白い答えが帰ってくる。
When I ask kids “What is a Japanese?” they come back with some interesting answers.
● 日本で生まれた人
Someone born in Japan.
● 赤ちゃんの時から日本語を話している人
Someone who has been speaking Japanese since they were a baby.
● 日本の文化がわかっている人
Someone who understand Japanese culture.
● 日本を愛している人
Someone who loves Japan.
● ルールに縛られすぎている人
Someone who is overly constricted by rules.
● 自分の国や文化に全く興味のない人
● Someone who has zero interest in their own country or culture.
● 親や親戚が日本人である人
Someone whose parents are Japanese.
個人的には、「自分の国や文化に全く興味がない人」が一番興味深いです。
Pesonally, the one about not being interested in your own culture got my thinking the most.
もちろん、子供はたまに大人と同じ答えをする。「親が日本人」「外見が日本人」「DNAが日本人」「日本のパスポートがある人」などなど。けど、基本、子供の答えは、DNAや民族より、育ちと文化中心の答えが多いです。
Of course, the kids and adults don’t always give completely different answers. Kids will sometimes reply “A Japanese is someone with two Japanese parents.” “A Japanese is someone who looks Japanese” or “A Japanese is someone with a Japanese passport.” But in general, adults’ responses center more on DNA or citizenship, where children’s response are more based in culture or identity.
一般社団法人やさしい日本語普及連絡会代表理事の吉開章氏は、全国的「やさしい日本語」を広げようとしている。「やさしい日本語」は簡単にいうと、外国人と英語ではなく、簡単な日本語で話しましょう！という社会運動です。英語が話せない方が多いし、色んな言語を話す方がいるので、共通語を簡単なわかりやすい日本語にした方がいいと思っている。
Yasashi Nihongo, or Easy Japanese is a movement that promotes speaking to the foreign community not in English, but in easy-to-understand Japanese. Since there are many foreign visitors and residents here in Japan who don’t speak English, this organization teaches native Japanese speakers how to communicate with them in Japanese that is easy to understand. Akira Yoshikai is one of the major advocates for Easy Japanese, and he gives lectures on the topic all over the country.
吉開氏は、多くの人は「日本人」の定義について考えている時に、４つのことを重視すると言っている。
Mr. Yoshikai says that many people focus mainly on four things when there are determining whether someone is “Japanese” or not.
● 日本民族
The Japanese race, or having Japanese DNA
● 日本国籍を持つ
Japanese citizenship
● 日本語が母語
Speaking Japanese as a native language.
● 日本の伝統文化を理解・実践
Understanding and practicing traditional Japanese cultural events
このリストを見ると、私は半分満たしている。「日本国籍を持つ」そして、「日本の伝統文化を理解・実践」。一方、私の日本生まれで、アメリカ国籍の娘たちは「日本語は母語」「日本の伝統文化を理解・実践」を満たしている。もちろん、長年、御先祖様が日本列島に住んでいる方、いわゆる「純日本人」は４つとも満たしている。
Looking at this list, I am 2 for 4. I have Japanese citizenship and understand and practice Japanese cultural events, but I don’t speak Japanese as a native language or have Japanese DNA. On the other hand, my kids speak Japanese as a native language and understand the culture, but they neither have Japanese DNA or possess Japanese citizenship. Of course, most what people like to call “pure Japanese” meet all four of the requirement of being “Japanese.” Although I question whether a “pure Japanese” even exists…
けど、結局、誰が「日本人」であるかどうかを、どう判断するの？誰が決めるの？日本政府？周りの人？それか、本人？
But another question is, who decides if someone is Japanese or not? The Japanese government? People living in Japan? Or perhaps, individuals?
日本の国籍法では、帰化した人は「日本国民」と呼ばれている。けど、帰化した人だけじゃなくて、全ての日本人が「日本国民」と呼ばれている。一方、「外国人」は日本の国籍を有しない者と定義している。つまり、日本の国籍法は「日本人」の定義については、何も定めていない。
The Japanese nationality law defined a naturalized Japanese as a “Japanese citizen” not as a “Japanese.” But in fact, all Japanese are called “Japanese citizens” in the nationality law. On the other hand, a “foreigner” is defined as someone who doesn’t have Japanese citizenship. So, the nationality law doesn’t even use the word “Japanese” but “Japanese citizen.”
確かに「日本国民」は法律っぽい。一般の人は、日常会話で「日本国民」をあまり使わない気がする。。
To me, “Japanese citizen” has a very legal ring to it. I rarely hear people around me talking about, “We Japanese citizens…” but rather, “We Japanese…”
私のX やYoutubeに付いているコメントを見てみると、「DNA」「遺伝」「大和民族」を重視にする人がいるとわかる。
Those who told me I wasn’t Japanese on X and YouTube were focusing solely on the DNA factor, the fact that I don’t have Japanese blood running in my veins.
「あなたが日本国籍を取っても、人種は変わらないよ。」
You may have Japanese citizenship, but you can’t change your race.
「あなたが「日本人」を使うことは人種盗用です。」
When you use the word “Japanese” you are committed racial appropriation.
「アイヌ、琉球、ハーフ、帰国子女などが出す日本人感は違う。」
Ainu, Ryuku, mixed race people, and returnees don’t seem to be the same kind of Japanese.
この人の言う「日本人感」のポイントは、大和民族であるかないかということです。つまり、この人たちは何よりも「遺伝」を大事にしている。
To this person, “to be a different kind of Japanese” means they are not of the Yamato race, the so-called pure Japanese. People who make comments like this are defining “Japaneseness” entirely by the standard of DNA.
私は帰化してから１週間くらい、Xに「こんなに日本が好き！」という投稿をし続けた。だって、日本人になった興奮が、なかなか治らなかったからです。正直、未だに治まっていない。毎朝、目が覚める時、私は日本人だし、日本人になったことは誇らしい。
Like I wrote earlier, for a week after becoming Japanese, I posted constantly about how happy I was. To be honest, even now I can’t believe it when I wake up every morning and I am Japanese. I am Japanese, and I am very proud of it.
その１週間の間、私の投稿に対しての反響はほぼポジティブだった。
During that week, almost all of the comments were positive.
そして、その後、「多様性」や「グローバルな社会」の必要性について投稿した。そのせいで、批判の嵐がきた。
But then, I made a post about diversity and globalization, and that is when all hell began to break loose.
「やっぱり、あなたはそういう人だ。」
Ah, so you are one of those!!
「日本をアメリカみたいに国にするために帰化したやろう？」
Did you naturalize so you can make Japan like the U.S.?
「郷にいれば、郷に従えよ。」
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
「日本は多様性なんていらん。」
Japan doesn’t need diversity.
「自分の国に帰れ！」
Go back to your country.
みたいなコメントが相次いできた。多分、この方々は、「昔ながらの日本文化」を維持するために、外国人や多様性を取り入れないほうがいいと思っている。私が思う多様性は今の素晴らしい日本をもっと素晴らしくする。けど、そういうコメントを書く人にとって、多様性は日本の美しさを壊す。もしかしたら、この方々にとって「日本人」＝「大和民族」かもしれないです。
For a week or so, a storm of comments like this came at me. I think that people who made comments like this felt that diversity would threaten the peace and beauty of the Japan of old. To me, diversity will bring make the Japan I love better. But to them, diversity will destroy Japan and replace it with something foreign. I think to them being Japanese means belonging to the Yamoto race.
けど、その方が、完全に私を嫌いになったわけじゃない。だって、大変な帰化申請を頑張ってした。日本語が話せる。日本の文化や習慣を大事にしている。そのアンちゃんが「多様性！多様性！」と言っても、日本が好きだということを誰も疑っていないと思う。
But that being said, they don’ t completely hate me. I mean, I went through the long and complicated process to become legally Japanese. I can speak the language well. And I value and respect Japanese customs and culture. While they may disagree with me calling for diversity, they still have to begrudgingly admit that I truly love Japan. I don’t think many doubt that.
だから、
So, I get comments like this from them.
「あなたみたいな人なら大歓迎！」
Well, we are glad to accept someone like you as a Japanese.
「アンちゃんなら日本人になっていい」
Someone who loves Japan like you can become Japanese, I guess.
「アンちゃんみたいに、伝統文化を大事にする人ならOK」
Those who respect the culture like you are welcome.
みたいなコメントもたくさんきた。つまり、基本、外国人も多様性もいらないし、帰化の制度は一般的に良く思われていないけど、「アンちゃんみたいに」日本社会に馴染もうとしている人なら、まぁ、いいんじゃない？って感じです。
In other words, these people basically are against immigration and diversity, and see the naturalization process as something bad in general. But in the case of someone who pretty much becomes Japanese, in other words greatly values Japanese customs and culture and tries to live like a Japanese, well, I guess that person is okay.
この人たちの「日本人」の定義は、基本「日本民族」＋「村雨辰剛」＋「アンちゃん」だとと感じる。
That persons definition of Japanese is basically Yamato race and me and Tatsumasa Murasame.
一般の日本人以上に日本文化を大事にする人なら、日本人になってもいい、日本人と呼ばれても良いって感じがした。だって、多くの日本人は、私みたいにおせち料理を使ったり、三味線を弾いたりしない。けど、その方の「日本人感」は疑問視されない気がする。日本人以上に日本が好きな外国人なら（白人は得に大歓迎）、日本人になって欲しいですといった感じ。
Their standard is actually quite high. So high in fact, that those like me who naturalize have to almost become more Japanese than a native-born Japanese in order to meet the qualification of being a true “Japanese.” I mean, I make traditional New Years dishes and can play the shamisen. Not many of the Japanese around me can do that. And yet, their “Japaneseness”
Is never really called into question. So, foreigners who are more Japanese than Japanese, especially white people like me and Tatsumasa, are wholeheartedly welcomed as “Japanese.”
この考え方は正直、気持ち悪いです。
To be honest, this way of thinking a bit cringe.
一方、日本国籍があるなら日本人。以上！と思っている方は非常に多い。この方にとって、全くグレーエリアがない。日本国籍＝日本人。とはいえ、「日本人」＝「日本国籍」と１００％言えないと思う。だって、他国に帰化する日本人は日本国籍を失うけど、「日本人」じゃなくなるわけじゃない。
On the other end of the spectrum are those who think the definition of Japanese is quite simple. If you have Japanese citizenship, then you are Japanese. That’s it. And as a naturalized Japanese I generally agree with this, it is not quite that simple. I mean, Japan-born people who naturalize to another country lose their Japanese citizenship, but that doesn’t mean that they stop being Japanese.
日本を愛している人は「日本人」だと思っている人たちもいる。この人たちは、日本の文化を理解することを大事にしている。
Others think that those who love Japan are Japanese. People like that tend to define “Japaneseness” by placing a lot of emphasis on understanding and respecting the culture.
意見は山ほどあることに気づいた。
There are seriously a myriad of opinions on what it means to be “Japanese.”
１５歳の方からメッセージがきた。
I recently got this text from a 15-year old.
「全然差別のつもりで言ってないけど、あなたは日本人として認められない。なぜなら、あなたは日本生まれ、日本育ちじゃないからです。けど、同じ「日本国民」として仲良くしたいと思っている。」みたいな感じだった。
I am not trying to be racist at all, but to be honest, I cannot accept you as a Japanese. The reason for this is that you were not born and raised in Japan. But that being said, as Japanese citizens let’s work together to make Japan a better place.
私は返事した。「じゃあ、私のアメリカ国籍で、日本生まれ、日本育ちの娘たちは日本人ですか？」
I asked him, so by your definition, are my Japan born and raised kids with U.S. citizenship Japanese?
彼は、「ああ、それは難しいですね。」と答えた。
He said, “Ah, it is more complicated than I thought.”
その後、アイデンティティーで悩みまくっている娘の話をした。彼女は、私と違って全然目立ちたくない人です。何よりも存在感を薄くしたいと望んでいる。けど、背が高くて、肌が白くて、カタカナの名前は長い。周りは全く悪気がないけど、福岡の田舎では娘は目立つ。「日本語が上手ですね」「外国人だから国語の成績悪くてもいい！」「アメリカ人は何を食べる？」みたいなコメントが積もりに積もって、日本では生きづらくなった。今の外見でも目立たないアメリカに行きたいと言い出した。
After that, I went on to talk about my oldest daughter, who is now 18 and has been having major identity issues for the last few years. My daughter, unlike me, hates sticking out. More than anything, she just wants to blend in with others and mainly wishes for people to not really notice her. However, this is not easy because she is tall, has white skin and her katakana name is longer than most. She has never experienced bullying, but the comments that mark her as “not Japanese” have accumulated and made it hard for her to live here. “Your Japanese is so good!” “It’s okay if you get a poor score on the Japanese test because you are a foreigner.” “What do Americans eat for breakfast anyway?” Those asking these questions don’t mean any harm. In fact, they are probably trying to praise her. But to her, they are just reminding her that she is not Japanese. So, she told me that she wants to live in the U.S., where more people look like she does.
けど、ここからが大事なポイントだ。娘は日本が嫌いじゃない。むしろ、日本は大好きです。彼女のホームだ。なのに、「日本人」として受け入れられていないことが、何よりも辛いそうです。
But don’t get me wrong. She doesn’t hate Japan. It is her home. But because she is not accepted as a Japanese in the country of her birth, it is painful for her and she wants to leave.
「日本人」の定義について話すなら、アイデンティティーについても考えないといけない。アイデンティティーが日本人だから日本人？難しい質問だと思う。これについても色んな意見がある。Xで見たコメントは、「その人が自分は日本人だと思っているなら日本人だ。」だった。娘の国籍も外見もアメリカだけど、少なくともアイデンティティーは日本人だ。私もそうだ。国籍だけじゃなくて、アイデンティティーも、日本人になってきている。
So when talking about what it means to be “Japanese,” the discussion of identity is a also a must. If something thinks they are Japanese, does that make them Japanese? I think that is also not an easy question. One comment on my X post read, “If someone thinks they are Japanese, then they are Japanese.” My daughter has a U.S. passport, but her identity is at least partly Japanese. And how about me? When I say that I am Japanese, I am not only referring to my citizenship but also to my identity.
Xでやりとりした１５歳の子供はこう言った。
The 15-old I was chatting with about this on X said this.
「アイデンティティーは幼少期の頃にできるものだと思った。だから、あなたは日本生まれ、日本育ちじゃないから「日本人」じゃないと思った。もしかしたら、僕は隠れている偏見があるかもしれない」と言った。
“I always thought that identity was formed and completed as a child. That is why it is hard for me to believe that you can be Japanese even though you were not born and raised here. But perhaps I have some hidden prejudice that I am not aware of.”
立派な若者だなぁ、と思った。X上でやりとりする大人よりよっぽど立派だ。
What a great kid. He is way more rational and mature than most of the people I interact with on X.
そもそもアイデンティティーって、変わるものなの？それとも、変わらないものなの？私の人生を振り返ってみると、変わるものだと思う。だって、今の私と２０代の私は全然違う。価値観も趣味も性格も今と全然違う。
So is identity something that is fixed, or something that changes? As I look back on my life, there is no way I can deny that my identity has changed. I am a completely different person from who I was in my 20s. My values, passions and even my personality have drastically changed.
もしかしたら、アイデンティティーが変わらない人はいるかもしれない。けど、色んなところに行ったり、価値観が違う人とたくさん出会ったりする人のアイデンティティーは、変わることはあると思う。
Of course, there are probably people who haven’t experienced the identity changes that I have. But I think that those who have been to many places around the world and interacted with those who have different values than they do, would probably say that their identity has changed over time, if ever so slightly.
私は日本に来た時、アイデンティティーはバリバリのアメリカ人だった。けど、今はどちらかというと、日本人のアイデンティティーの方が強い。とはいえ、私のアメリカ人のアイデンティティーが完全になくなったわけじゃない。むしろ、なくならないで欲しい。けど、間違いなく薄くなってきている。だから、「私は日本人だ」と胸を張って言う時、「国籍」があるから言っているわけじゃない。ハートも日本人になってきているからだ。
When I first came to Japan, my identity screamed American. But what about now? I think it is safe to say that my identity is gradually becoming more and more Japanese. But that doesn’t mean that my American identity has completely disappeared. Nor do I want it too. But when I say that I am Japanese, I am sure not only referring to my citizenship, but also to my heart.
だから、結局、日本国籍も、日本人としての心もある私は、別にXの人に認めらなくても誇らしげに「私は日本人だ」と言い続けるつもりだ。私の日本語はたまにおかしい。漫画やアニメはよくわからない。そして、日本史をどれだけ勉強しても覚えられない。けど、心からこの日本を愛している。私が日本人であることは、言葉に表すことができないくらい、誇らしいことです。アメリカ人で生まれてよかったけど、残りの人生、私は日本人として生きていきたい。けど、「日本人」とか「外国人」とかじゃなくて、日本というこの素晴らしい国で一緒に暮らしている「住民」としてみんなと仲良くしていきたいです。それが何よりも大事なことだと思う。
So ultimately, my passport and my heart are both Japanese. So whether or not people on X accept that or not doesn’t really matter to me. I will continue to proclaim that I am Japanese with both elation and with pride. My Japanese may be a little weird at times, and I know absolutely nothing about manga or anime. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember Japanese history for the life of me. But I know my adopted country with every fiber of my being, and I am proud to call myself Japanese. I am thankful to my home country of the United States for help making me who I am today, but I want to spend the rest of my life as a Japanese. But more than anything, I want all of us to live together happily, not as “foreigners” and “Japanese,” but as residents of this beautiful country that we all want to make even better. I think that shared goal is more important than anything.