You can tell Korea you're doing a visa run for Japan, or tell Japan you're doing a visa run for Korea, but I wouldn't do it without the proper documentation. If you're just getting tourist visas in both countries, I would tell the Japanese immigration official that there is one or two more things in the country you want to see that you didn't get to see while you were there.

However, if that is the case, you will need one of the following:

1) return ticket
2) itinerary showing what you plan to do in Japan, and when you plan to leave, and by what means. Travel agencies can do this for you, even if you plan to wait to purchase the return ticket.
3) Massive amounts of cash showing you will not be a burden for your estimated time in Japan
4) Some other proof of intent to leave

I lived in Korea for six months and maintained residency, officially, while working on my visa process for Japan. I came in and out fairly easily due to Korean residency requirements- lose your job, you lose your residency. My job in Korea had been bilking the Korean IRS and did not want it known, so they never reported the fact that I quit. As far as Japanese immigration was concerned, I had residency in Korea, which proved I had little intent to remain in Japan, so number four. This wasn't true, but I never told the officials that it was. It was a case of the officials seeing what they wanted to see.

Nyororin, it had changed, but according to MOFA, companies had begun to abuse the status change by having people work on tourist visas while waiting for the COE. This is why in July 2008, they returned to their original policy.

I actually thought it was possible for the immigration officers to look up and see any pending applications in process. If I say what you told me to say, and they look on the computer and see I have a COE in process, I could end up in deep deep trouble.

I was giving you general information. You are quite correct; if the MOJ (ie, immigration) has access to your COE information, and presumes that you are waiting in Japan for it to arrive, or worse, working without it, you could be denied entry until your COE process is complete.

It sounds like you don't even know if the COE has been printed. In my case, it had been printed, and MOFA refused to send it out until I had given them a date by which I was leaving, which was about two weeks in the future, but significantly sooner than my current tourist visa expired. Then they sent it. Probably by the next business day, because I got it within that two weeks, and made the one day run to Korea around the same time, a day or so earlier, I think, than what I told MOFA was my planned departure date.

I have never said you have to be out of the country; just that you must provide MOFA with a departure date so they will send the COE to your company (who would normally then be forced to send it to you, but like me, you could just pick it up in person, and then leave).

But I did not apply for the COE in person in Japan, nor as was earlier stated. I don't think MOJ has access to the COE application, because my last tourist visa, I had a COE application in process, and that was why I mentioned the fact that immigration knew I had a Korean residency and deemed that proof I didn't want Japanese residency. This was, of course, false. And I never told immigration it was true.

I did apply in Japan though. Thing is, I was never asked (by application or person) when I would leave Japan so they could send out the COE. So, how do I know if its ready and they're just waiting for me to leave? Should I just give MOFA a call?

Yes. This is precisely what I had to do. Keep calling until it was ready, give departure date, wait, receive from company, go to Korea, come back with residency.

Bit confused. I just called MOFA and they said they have absolutely NOTHING to do with the COE and to contact immigration for all COE matters. I also asked them about the departure date release thing and they had no idea what I was talking about.

wweeeeeeeeeeeee.. isn't bureaucracy fun!:rolleyes:

What?! That is exactly opposite my whole experience.

Well, crap. When I get back to Japan, I will just go to immigration and straight out ask for you, because now I want to know the answer.

I called the number listed on this page: MOFA: Guide to Japanese Visas

I even spoke to a supervisor. They specifically said they don't deal at all with COE and to contact immigration for any questions regarding it. Why don't you just give them a call for the heck of it and see if you get different results? :)