CONTROVERSY: Teen soccer player of mixed parentage in Japan registered as a foreigner despite holding Japanese nationality since birth

A photo of the Japanese junior high school student who was mistakenly registered as having U.S. nationality (Provided by his mother) - The Asahi Shimbun

By Emmanuel Akyereko
(Managing Editor)

A Japanese teenager with an American father has been controversially registered by his local soccer club as a foreigner despite holding Japanese nationality since birth.

The issue has sparked a huge controversy between the mother of the teenager, whose identity has not been disclosed, the soccer club and the Japan Football Association (JFA).

According to details reported by The Asahi Shimbun portal, the soccer club which is located in the Kochi Prefecture, registered the player as a foreign national without the knowledge of his mother or the child.

Interestingly, the reports filed by the portal further revealed that the club demanded that he submit an application falsely stating that he had only recently obtained Japanese nationality.

The mother of the teen told Asahi Shimbun that: “Our goal is not to blame the JFA or the club. We just hope that not only will they improve the rules around paperwork but also deepen their understanding of children with diverse backgrounds.”

Meanwhile, it has been further revealed that the player left the club in July with the registration issue unresolved.

During the period of the revelation, the teenager was not allowed to participate in an official match by the club after being told that his registration was not complete.

The student was told that without submitting the application form, his registration in the system could not be finalized, and he would be ineligible to participate in official games.

Photo Credit: The Asahi Shimbun