Registration Certificate
In 1950, a new nationality law was promulgated by the Japanese government. The law established that Japanese nationality was inheritable only if a parent was Japanese. Koreans in Japan, who were formerly citizens of the Empire of Japan, became classified as “resident aliens”. Those who had not repatriated or declared citizenship with either North or South Korea effectively became stateless people. This card was issued in 1946 in Osaka prefecture. Later, all resident Koreans across Japan would be required to carry similar certificates, “Alien Registration Certificates”, with them at all times. Osaka Prefecture may have been an early adopter of this policy because of its high population of Koreans.