On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:45:23 +0200, Jean-Marc Desperrier
<jmdesp@alussinan.org> belched the alphabet and kept on going with:

>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.

http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/05.html#b

Scroll halfway down and look at 1 b.

>And I think the case of gaijin wifes coming to Japan without any intent 
>to work is very frequent, so it *is* really strange.

Japan would never have a sexist policy. Never.
>
>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.

I *had* an income before coming. I had *no* income after arriving.

>
>Is that an outdated thing or an unofficial requirement ?

Probably both and neither.

>So does this only apply to men, or to cases where the japanese national 
>spouse does not work ?

Probably both.