Michael Cash wrote:
> Anyway, I needed a spouse visa so I could go to work. But I needed to
> show some proof of gainful employment to help the spouse visa thingy
> along. Catch-22.

First time, I read you need employment to get a spouse visa.
And I think the case of gaijin wifes coming to Japan without any intent 
to work is very frequent, so it *is* really strange.

You say you could have had it easily before coming, but needed the 
employment because you were already in japan with a tourist visa.
But it doesn't help me make more sense of it.

Is that an outdated thing or an unofficial requirement ?
So does this only apply to men, or to cases where the japanese national 
spouse does not work ?