A Peruvian man and a Japanese woman living in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, have been arrested for entering into what is known as a sham marriage despite having no intention of being legally married.
According to police, in August 2023, the two submitted a marriage registration despite having no genuine intent to marry. As a result, they allegedly had city officials record false information in the woman’s family registry.
After receiving a tip, police conducted an extensive investigation into their living situation and daily activities, ultimately concluding that they had no real intention of marriage.
The woman was originally a Peruvian national but had obtained Japanese citizenship through naturalization. However, police have not disclosed details about how the two met.
In Japan, foreign nationals married to Japanese citizens are exempt from work restrictions, leading authorities to suspect that the man entered into the sham marriage to obtain residency benefits, while the woman may have received money in return.
Police are also investigating the involvement of a third party who may have knowingly facilitated the fraudulent marriage.
