Article 5

①When a special permanent resident (including persons who have lost Japanese nationality under the Treaty of Peace with Japan or descendants of persons who have lost Japanese nationality under the Treaty of Peace with Japan who have submitted the application referred to in Article 4, paragraph (3) or Article 5, paragraph (3) of the Act; hereinafter the same applies in this Article) who uses Chinese characters for their name makes a request, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may show a name using those Chinese characters or the Chinese characters and kana characters (meaning hiragana or katakana, and when Chinese characters are not used for a part of the name of that special permanent resident, limited to kana characters which show that part; hereinafter the same applies in this Article) together with their name written in Roman characters.

②A special permanent resident who seeks to make the request referred to in the preceding paragraph must submit a material proving that Chinese characters are used for their name.

③The request referred to in paragraph (1) must be made together with the application pursuant to the provisions of Article 4, paragraph (3), Article 5, paragraph (3), Article 12, paragraph (1) or (2), Article 13, paragraph (1), or Article 14, paragraph (1) or (3) of the Act or with the notification pursuant to the provisions of Article 11, paragraph (1) of the Act.

④If the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency finds that when a special permanent resident who uses Chinese characters for their name indicates their name in Roman characters, the special permanent resident is likely to suffer considerable disadvantage or that there are other special circumstances, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, the Commissioner may show the name using those Chinese characters or the Chinese characters and kana characters, in lieu of Roman characters.

⑤In the case referred to in paragraph (1) and the preceding paragraph, the necessary particulars for indicating names using Chinese characters, such as the scope and usage of Chinese characters to indicate the names, are specified by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency through public notice.

⑥A name using Chinese characters or Chinese characters and kana characters which is written pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (4) may not be changed (including a decision not to write the name using Chinese characters or Chinese characters and kana characters) except in the case of a change through a notification under the provisions of Article 11, paragraph (1) of the Act; provided, however, that this does not apply if the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency finds the change to be appropriate.