When the Democratic Party of Japan indicated in its political manifesto that it favored voting rights for foreign permanent residents, the reaction from some quarters of the media was visceral. In early April, publisher Takarajima-sha produced a 96-page "emergency publication" titled "Gaikokujin Sanseiken de Nihon ga Nakunaru Hi" ("The Day that Japan Ceases to Exist Due to Foreigner Voting Rights"), whose cover ran frantic exclamations such as "A Legal Invasion by China!" and "With a policy to admit 10 million immigrants, Japan will become a foreign country!"
But when Upper House Diet member Renho was appointed as minister for administrative reforms in Prime Minister Naoto Kan's new Cabinet, the media took her background in stride. Renho, age 42, was born Hsieh Lien-fang with Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship. Her mother is Japanese, and when Japan's Nationality Law was modified she opted for Japanese citizenship at the age of 18.
If she had so chosen, Renho could have retained Hsieh as her surname even after acquiring Japanese citizenship. Instead, she opted for Saito, her mother's surname. Then upon marriage she became Mrs. Nobuyuki Murata. So while her original surname has changed twice following her choice to become a citizen and marriage, her given name — written with characters that mean "lotus mooring" — has remained unchanged.