It will be interesting to see if he does get citizenship and what will happen if he doesn't.
Olympia;643014 It would probably be easier for Takahashi to get Canadian citizenship than for Tran to become a Japanese citizen said:It'll be interesting to see what happens if Tran can't get citizenship in Japan. Would Narumi Takahashi then consider applying for Canadian citizenship?
I'm guessing there are big financial considerations involved. I assume (though I don't know for sure) that the Japanese federation is probably a lot richer than the Canadian federation and provides better support for them financially. But I'm guessing the biggest barrier is political. It's not that big of a deal for a Canadian skater to switch to America or vice versa; it's been done numerous times in recent years. But I think it's a very, very big deal for a Japanese skater to renounce citizenship for another country. The only example of this is Yuko Kavaguti, and IIRC, I don't think she changed citizenship until she and Smirnov had won medals at the highest level (Euros/Worlds). Narumi is now in a similar situation to Yuko; would she make a similar change?
I did a bit of research. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, Japan isn't generally a country that welcomes new citizens . . .
It would probably be easier for Takahashi to get Canadian citizenship . . . Well, you can't fault Tran for trying.
I think the JSF would be better off nurturing a young Japanese pair for the future--something they should be doing anyway. They obviously have many wonderful skaters and coaches. Their next step is to branch out from singles.
Canadian pairs figure skater Mervin Tran's hopes of obtaining Japanese citizenship hit a snag on Tuesday after the justice ministry frowned on making an exceptionfor the world bronze medalist.
It would probably be easier for Takahashi to get Canadian citizenship than for Tran to become a Japanese citizen, though of course the pairs situation is much more favorable for these two in Japan. This might turn out to be one of those times when wishes don't come true, at least in terms of Olympic eligibility. Well, you can't fault Tran for trying.
I think the JSF would be better off nurturing a young Japanese pair for the future--something they should be doing anyway. They obviously have many wonderful skaters and coaches. Their next step is to branch out from singles.
I'm guessing there are big financial considerations involved. I assume (though I don't know for sure) that the Japanese federation is probably a lot richer than the Canadian federation and provides better support for them financially. But I'm guessing the biggest barrier is political. It's not that big of a deal for a Canadian skater to switch to America or vice versa; it's been done numerous times in recent years. But I think it's a very, very big deal for a Japanese skater to renounce citizenship for another country. The only example of this is Yuko Kavaguti, and IIRC, I don't think she changed citizenship until she and Smirnov had won medals at the highest level (Euros/Worlds). Narumi is now in a similar situation to Yuko; would she make a similar change?
It's a long shot anyway. It just doesn't make sense to get a citizenship for a country which you have no personal connectio with.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, ..... Also, apparently Tran would not be able to retain his Canadian citizenship if he were to become a Japanese citizen. I believe a GS poster mentioned this point earlier, and I found an article that confirms this.
Like I wrote before, it's by "Article 9" of the Nationality Act of Japan that Tran is being planned by a large number of Diet members to be given citizenship, and this Article 9 DOES NOT require Tran to lose Canadian citizenship at all. Moreover, it even doesn't require Tran to apply for it.
This type of Japanese Citizenship, though never put in act before, is determined solely by the will of the Diet, formally speaking, as a "gift".
If it were obtaining Japanese citizenship using the other clauses, then yes Tran would lose Canadian citizenship, but those other clauses won't let him apply because of language and residence.
But no, this is nothing about losing Canadian citizenship.
Like I wrote before, it's by "Article 9" of the Nationality Act of Japan that Tran is being planned by a large number of Diet members to be given citizenship, and this Article 9 DOES NOT require Tran to lose Canadian citizenship at all. .
I'm surprised people keep bringing this up. You do realize Article 9 is reserved for someone of Japanese ethnicity who is not a citizen ? It's not explicitly stated as such due to political reasons but it will never be invoked for a foreigner. The Japanese have a very strong sense of national unity, if you were to ask the average Japanese what race they view themselves, they would answer Japanese, not asian.
Non Japanese may think this view strange but it's really simple. A Japanese citizen is nothing without his country, and everything that makes Japan unique, the culture, language, history and identity must be preserved otherwise it is in constant danger of being lost. This is not extremist as every Japanese citizen regardless of political party, devotes themselves to Japan to prevent such disappearance. Every Japanese citizen contributes what they can for the nation, whether they are soldiers to guard the borders, businessmen to earn money for their nation, artists to express the nation's creativity, and athletes to display the nation's physical prowess.
People remark how well Japanese people handled the earthquake/tsunami disaster and nuclear calamity without mass chaos. Maybe some understand why after what i just wrote.
Well, in that cause couldn't you argue that is what Tran has done here? By pairing up with Narumi, he has enabled her to express the nation's physical prowess to the best of her ability.
I find it interesting that Japan (as a whole) seem keen on being picky about citizenship as a way to preserve culture/pride but yet they the JSF thinks nothing about sending its skaters to foreign coaches.