PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Minister and Consul General of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines Hanada Takahiro recently conducted a visit here to look for more second-generation descendants or "nikkei-jins" who have not been awarded their Japanese nationalities after World War II.

"Nikkei-jins," a term referring to Japanese emigrants and their descendants who have formed families and communities in host countries like the Philippines, include the wives and children of Japanese citizens who were forcibly repatriated to Japan following the war.

Hanada stressed that the aim of his visit is to offer humanitarian aid to "nikkei-jins" who are in need but have not yet been recognized or identified because they're still hiding in remote areas in Palawan.

He added that the Japanese Embassy is ready to help in their application journeys as long as they make themselves known so they can assist them in their applications through the Philippine Nikkei-jin Legal Support Center.

"The problem is we cannot identify the exact number — that is why we are asking for help to spread the information all over the Philippines, not only in Palawan. We are trying to reach out to those second-generation who might still be living in rural areas," said Hanada.

He also cited that based on their post-World War II estimates, more than 30,000 "nikkei-jins" remained in the Philippines. As of April 2023, they have been assisting approximately 1,548 "nikkei-jins" in the process of acquiring Japanese nationality.