The granting of Japanese citizenship, residency visas or working visas to Filipinos descended from Japanese who migrated to the Philippines in the early 20th century may usher in better lives for them and their families, but not necessarily without hardships and problems.
Filipinos of Japanese descent who have petitioned family courts in Japan for official recognition of their Japanese roots do not deny being primarily motivated by potential economic benefits, Japan being a developed country and the Philippines wanting in job and livelihood opportunities.
But working in Japan and integrating into Japanese society pose new problems for the Philippine "nikkei-jin" (Japanese descendants) and their families, primarily because of language and cultural differences, experts say.