Path: ccsf.homeunix.org!news.moat.net!newscon02.news.prodigy.com!newscon06.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.net!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!postnews.google.com!g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail
From: john@rarebooksinjapan.com
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: Narita immigration
Date: 21 Dec 2005 04:40:06 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Lines: 47
Message-ID: <1135168806.022707.85620@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>
References: <43a915aa$0$9292$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 222.11.9.175
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
X-Trace: posting.google.com 1135168810 16094 127.0.0.1 (21 Dec 2005 12:40:10 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:40:10 +0000 (UTC)
User-Agent: G2/0.2
X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98),gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe)
Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com
Injection-Info: g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com; posting-host=222.11.9.175;
   posting-account=v4ijrQwAAAD246ZZcDvfQeHkK0MmeXgp
Xref: ccsf.homeunix.org fj.life.in-japan:30874

Mobutu wrote:

>I am a bit paranoid about ticking "study" with no student visa.

 Here's the general situation:

>>If you are a citizen of one of the over 50 countries with which Japan has concluded
>>a "general visa exemption arrangement", you need only a valid passport to enter
>>Japan as a "temporary visitor".
(http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2221.html)

The 50+ countries are:

>>Singapore, Canada, U.S.A., Argentina, Bahamas, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
>>Dominican Rep., El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Suriname, Uruguay, Barbados,
>>Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy,
>>Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino,
>>Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Andorra, Czech Rep., Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
>>Monaco, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Turkey, Lesotho, Mauritius, Tunisia
(http://www.learn4good.com/travel/japan_visa.htm)

As for what you can and can't do:

>>Temporary visitors are not allowed to engage in any paid activities. Short term studies
>>at certain Japanese language schools are permitted.
(http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2221.html)

If I were you, I wouldn't bother with the embassy. Chances are they'll
keep you waiting eternally, treat you disdainfully, and fob you off
without a proper answer to your question.

But I would check with the school you will be studying at to see
whether its students are included in the exemption cited above.

If they are, take all the bumph to prove you'll be studying there with
you, display it prominently, and write "study" in bold letters in the
"purpose of visit" box on the form.

If they aren't, send anything connected with the school separately by
post, and write "tourism" in the "purpose of visit" box.

And remember - just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they
aren't out to get you!

John
http://rarebooksinjapan.com