25. Uwano Lost His Japanese Citizenship
When Uwano sought to visit Japan to pray at his parents’ graves, reconnect with his family, and once again view his birth country’s famous cherry blossoms, he discovered that, because he had been declared dead in 2000, he was technically no longer considered a Japanese citizen. He was allowed to visit Japan, but only as a visiting Ukrainian citizen traveling on his Ukrainian passport. Not that he minded. As he told reporters, he had no plans to live in Japan. “Ukraine has become my homeland”, he said.