Stupid visa...

My 'alien' status in Japan requires me, not only to carry around a special ID card (Alien registration), to renew my student visa after a minimum of two year stay. This is because the maximum length of a 'student visa' for Japan is 2 years, irrespective of how long your course is. SO, despite the visa I got from the Japanese embassy in London saying I have a multiple entry visa for Japan, valid for 3 years, I have to apply for renewal of my student visa after 2 years of stay, as well as apply for a 're-entry permit' if I ever want to leave and re-enter Japan. Craziness.

Anyhoo, as my last re-entry permit runs out with my last visa, I need to apply for one of those too; you can choose between 'single re-entry' (3000yen) or 'multipe re-entry' (6000yen). Visa renewal currently costs 4000yen which is all payable in lovely things called 'revenue stamps'.

Another thing, visa renewal takes 4 to 6, yes SIX weeks to be processed. AND you can only apply a maximum of 2 months in advance of your visa expiry date:

So, my visa runs out on the 1st of April 2009, and I have to get my visa renewed BEFORE it runs out and giving the minimum leeway of 4 weeks, and taking into account the earliest that I can apply for it: I have a window from the 2nd Feb 'til the 2nd March to apply.

I decided to make very sure that I had plenty of time for applicationy stuff, so I went on the 2nd of Feb to be at the office 9am ready to hand in my forms and all the certificates. I was all organised and applied for the re-entry and extention all at the same time (even though the re-entry permit is done on the same day as application... but hey, better to hand in all the forms at the same time right?). So, now I'm waiting for a postcard saying that I can come back with my passport to pick up all those lovely stamps I need to stay in the country. fun fun fun.

How to get to Tokyo Immigration Office

There are several way to get yourself over to the Tokyo Immigration office, but because I have a general dis-like of buses in Tokyo, and am also financially allergic to taxis, I took the Rinkai line [りんかい] train down to Tennozu-isle [天王州アイル], then walked for about 15mins to the office.

So when you get to Tennozu-isle, take Exit A.


When you hit daylight after your second flight of escalators turn LEFT (following the sign to the monorail station)











Follow the next escalators, then at the top turn RIGHT towards the traffic junction (and the monorail station)

















Turn RIGHT at the junction to walk over the blue bridge, called Shinagawa-futou-bashi [品川埠頭橋]





It will generally look like a sea of shipping containers for most of the walk, but follow the road... just after crossing over the river, the road goes under a highway (HUGE concrete thing, you cant miss it), keep following the road as it curves round to the left...














... and eventually you'll see a big square SUNKUS sign over some vending machines, and the big grey monstrosity behind it is the Immigration Office.

TA DA!