Hello All,

Just got my PERMANENT VISA in Japan.  It was difficult to do (as far as the paperwork and waiting), but I have prevailed.  I would like to share with you, the things needed to do.  There isn't much information on the web, and I would like to share what worked for me.

1.  You need to have a Japanese spouse (wife/husband)
2.  You should already be on your 3 year visa
3.  Passport
4.  Your Gaikokojintorokusho (alien registration card)
5.  a copy of your spouse's Koseki Tohon
6. Your Jumisho (marriage certificate)
7. Gaikokujintorokugenpyokisaijikoshomesho (pick this up at your local ward office before going to immigration.)
8. zaishokushomesho
9. you and your spouse's resident tax report
10. jumenjeikazeshomesho
11. your spouse's hanko signature stamp (sometimes, not needed but good to have just in case.)
12. Your OWN ink pen (other foreigners steal the immigrations pens, and/or immigration forgot to provide some)
13.  You and your spouse's work addresses (on a separate sheet of paper, this will help you.)

!!!!!! (Make copies of ALL your materials.  You will have to hand over everything ((except passport/alien card)) ask the staff if it is ok to give copies and you keep the originals... it worked for me)!!!!!!

I don't know what some of the above Japanese means, but ask your spouse to help you gather all of these materials.  Try to make an attempt to "beat the traffic" and be outside of the immigration doors before they are scheduled to open.  Enter and find the appropriate desk to go to from the information counter... you want something to do with "residency" (of course ;) ) Present all of your paper work there and the staff will give you an application for permanent residency (or I think its an application for extension/change in residency) and a waiting number ticket (if you go there at busy times, you will have 100 people waiting before you)...  Fill the papers out and wait for your number to be called.

Go up to the counter and present all of your paperwork.  You will be given a postcard that you will need to address to yourself.  This is for when your permanent visa is ready, you will receive this in the mail to let you know to come and pick up your stuff.

I have heard that it takes anywhere from 8 months to a year to receive notification... SO make sure that your previous 3 year visa has enough time on it for this waiting period.

However, I received mine in 6 months.

Take the postcard that you got in the mail, with your passport and your alien registration card... go to immigration... there will usually be a convenience store on the first floor, and you will need to buy the permanent residency stamp it is 8000 yen . It sucks very much if you wait in a long line and present your stuff and then you get sent back to the store for the stamp, then you have to come back up and wait in that long line again... (you have been warned) Make your way to the appropriate counter (the postcard will say which counter to go to) and wait in the appropriate line. When it is your turn, hand over your 8000 yen residency stamp, passport, postcard, and alien registration card (gaikokujintorokusho).  The staff will give you a waiting number ticket.

I highly recommend having an ipod touch/iPhone, or SOME type of video player with you at all times of this process... an mp3 player is ok, but watching all the weird people come in complain and pile up while listening to Tech N9ne is amusing... but dammit, just get a video player. hahaha.

Anyways, keep checking for your number on the display board... if there are 100 people in front of your number, go have a cigarette, or go to the store and get some sandwiches... be productive.

When your number is available, go to the counter and pick up your passport... your old 3 year visa will be cancelled, and near it... will be your PERMANENT RESIDENCE VISA.

If you leave the country for vacation or whatever, you will have to go to immigration before you plan to leave, and get a RE-Entry Permit (you can get a multiple re-entry pass for a little more money, but it is only valid for 3 years... I don't take vacations very often, so I get the re-entry permits each time I leave Japan).  If you do not get your re-entry permit, and you leave Japan and try to come back... you will have to start over... I don't mean the Permanent Residence Visa... I mean EVERYTHING (90 day tourist visa, 1 year spouse visa, 3 year spouse visa, THEN the permanent visa) ...

Be Safe and smart...

-T.Y.T.

ps.  if I left anything out, you know the translations to the Japanese words above I didn't know, or you know a better way of doing this... please feel free to comment... I wrote this because I had to go on a treasure hunt on 5 different planets to get this information... and here it is... for you.