The plaintiffs who challenged a Japanese law that bans dual citizenship say they will take their appeal to the country's Supreme Court.
The plaintiffs and their lawyers held a news conference on Tuesday. The move came after the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court ruling and dismissed the claim that the ban violates the plaintiffs' constitutional rights.
Seventy-nine-year-old Nogawa Hitoshi lost his Japanese nationality after he acquired citizenship in Switzerland.
He said that he identifies himself as a Japanese person because he has memories of his childhood in Japan. Nogawa said he wants the Supreme Court justices to understand that identity is important to everyone.
The defense team says roughly three-quarters of the world's 195 countries and regions allowed dual citizenship as of 2020.
One defense lawyer, Naka Teruo, said the ruling undermines the importance of Japanese nationality. He said it essentially says it is okay to strip away a person's Japanese nationality in order to prevent the individual from having dual citizenship.
Naka criticized Japan's Nationality Law. He said its stipulations deprive people of opportunities to thrive abroad as Japanese citizens.