Things you should bring -Passport -Registration card -Hanko -Passport sized photo -Money (4000Y+) Recommended Time Allowance - 2-3 Weeks beforehand | Words you should know 入国管理局 ー にゅうこくかんりきょく - Immigration office Interesting fact Okinawa immigration is administered by Fukuoka |
Kadena Immigration office
How to get there
- Catch the 120 Bus to the Bus stop right outside the police station at Kadena.
- Around 200m on your right you should see the Immigration office.
My Story
Being closer to kadena I decided to visit this branch first to hurriedly get my new visa. I tried to search for the times on the website but a tangle of Kanji and unfamiliar words confounded me and I ended up taking the only reliable way of finding out, first hand. Taking the 120 bus down the 58 and getting of at the police station, it was quite easy to walk to the embassy. But this is where it stopped being easy, as I waited outside from 1-2 which was supposedly the lunch hours which they didn't re-open for (the reason for which was unclear to me). At 2:30 I rang the bell and asked the one employee in the building (through the speaker system) whether I could renew my visa. He was very nice and explained that (like with everything) you needed to fill out a form and let me in and have me the form sending me on my way. With one week remaining on my visa I went home and hurriedly filled out the paperwork and waited for my next day off from work. At work they asked about how my visa went, to which I replied that I was sent home with the forms and would go back next day off. They said that the Kadena branch was known for being cold (as it was next to the American base) and recommended for safety to visit the Naha branch.
Naha Immigration
How to get there
- From International street 国際通り catch a taxi
The process
- Fill out what seems like a life's worth of forms + Impromptu Japanese writing.
- Exit to buy the most expensive you will probably ever buy!
- Go back to the immigration building and stick your stamp!
- Wait
- Get your new registration card!
My story
With only 3 days to go, I took the 120 bus into 国際通り and hailed a taxi. Spending around 15 mins in the taxi with a crazy Okinawan driver talking about Okinawan kingdoms and trade routs, I arrived in a less friendly looking Immigration office (however its not the looks that count). Inside the security guard was very friendly and he even showed me to the elevator. Going up I could feel an amount of uncertainty as I wondered what would happen if my visa ran out. Inside the immigration office after waiting in line, I was seated at a desk. The attendant knowing a little English and was super friendly an helped me to answer the questions (even write kanji). My stresses were allayed. After the forms were filled out, I had to go and buy an expensive stamp that was required before the forms could be processed. (I did not have the money on me so I had to walk to the nearest convenience store (30 mins away) to withdraw money, but apart from this everything was smooth) . Before I knew it I had my new card and I could legally continue my journey in Japan!