Children in Philippines eye Japanese nationality

Thousands of children living in the Philippines will be able to claim Japanese citizenship after Japan's Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to base their nationality on their parents' marital status.

Hironori Kondo, a Japanese lawyer, told reporters in Manila yestereday there were at least 10,000 Japanese-Filipino children currently in Japan who could potentially benefit from last month's ruling, and even more in the Philippines.

But Kondo, chief counsel of the nonprofit Citizens Network for Japanese-Filipino Children, said the number of children who have come forward since the court decision is less than expected, with only 20 new registrants with his group.