With concern growing among lawmakers that amending the Nationality Law will engender false cases of paternal recognition, debate is focusing on whether DNA tests should be applied to the process of granting nationality.
Many lawmakers claim that it is essential to conduct a DNA test to prevent non-Japanese from illegally obtaining Japanese nationality through false claims of paternity, while others now argue that requiring such a test would present a number of problems, including discrimination against foreigners.
The revision of the Nationality Law would allow children born out of wedlock to Japanese men and foreign women to obtain Japanese nationality if the father acknowledges paternity after the birth.