Osaka native Haruko Kubota has waged a lifelong struggle to be "certified" as a living resident.
Kubota (not her real name), 31, a petite mother of three with long dyed hair, doesn't have a "koseki" family registration. Lacking a family registry is a tremendous disadvantage — and virtually unthinkable — in a nation where all citizens are supposed to have their names registered at birth.
This registration serves as the basis for public services and for carrying out many commercial transactions.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.