As Japan faces a continued decline in the birthrate and a graying of its society, the
topic of foreign nationals’ permanent residency has garnered more attention. However, because
statistics on the naturalization are basically nonexistent, recognition and understanding of the
naturalized population are lacking, and there are many unclear aspects of the circumstances of
the naturalized population in Japan. In this research, I gathered naturalized persons’ individual
data published in the “Official Gazette [Kanpo]” for the 60 years from 1950 to 2009, and create
a database to analyze the distribution of and change in the naturalization with GIS （Geographic
Information System） from a geographical perspective.