[Tsuwabuki]

Easier? No. Faster? Maybe.

Although you can change your status of residence in the country, you're not "supposed" to. There is a procedure that immigration offices can use to allow it, and in areas with large foreign populations such as Tokyo, I hear it is pretty common. However, know that every immigration agent (not just office) has the power to interpret your case. It's all case by case, and you may be told to leave the country after getting your Certificate of Eligibility. You may be told the school will get the CoE, and that immigration won't send it until you leave the country. You may get some other answer I don't even know about.

My answer was "we won't do this, we won't send the CoE until he gives a date when he is leaving Japan, and he'll have to change it outside of Japan." So I gave them a "date" well within my period of stay, waited for my CoE to arrive at my office, picked up the CoE when it did, immediately went to Seoul, switched it out for a visa, and came right back to Japan. It only took about twenty four hours total once the CoE was in my hand, but I spent a lot of that time traveling, and I think I slept for a week after I finished the process.

Also, not all Asians use kanji. Obviously, the Chinese do. The Koreans only use it for old literature. Many Southeast Asians do not use it all.