Studying In Japan

More than 100,000 international students are currently studying at universities, junior colleges, professional schools and other educational institutions in Japan. Their number has been increasing rapidly since the 1980s, with two thirds of the students coming from China.
Visa Matters
Short time studies at Japanese language schools are permitted on a tourist visa. All other foreign student in Japan needs a student visa in order to study in Japan. Visa applicants require an educational institution as their sponsor in order to obtain a student visa. Student visa holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activities, unless they get the permission of the school and the immigration office. Even then, students may work only a set maximum number of hours per week. Working on a tourist visa is prohibited.
Language Schools
Japanese language schools exist in many cities across Japan, ranging from informal conversation schools to government recognized institutions that offer preparatory courses for students to enroll at universities.
There are language schools for all proficiency levels, and courses of different durations from just a few weeks to more than one year.
Universities
The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is a standard examination in existence since 2002, simplifying the process of admission to Japanese universities for international students.
The examination covers the Japanese language, science, mathematics, Japan and the World and is held biannually in Japan and selected cities outside of Japan. The examination can be written in Japanese or English (except the section on Japanese language; some testing sites don't offer tests in English).
Almost all national universities, about two thirds of the public universities and roughly half of the private universities use the EJU as admission criteria for international students, while the others apply their own entrance exams.
Naturally, most university courses in Japan are only available in Japanese, although quite a few universities offer one or more English courses at a master's and/or doctoral level. Only a handful of universities offer English courses on the undergraduate (bachelor) level.
Scholarships and Exchange Programs
Scholarship programs for international students are provided by the Japanese government, local governments, the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) and private organizations, foundations and companies in Japan and abroad.

Depedent Visa

Dependent Visa
There has been some discussion in the Visa eligibility section about whether you are allowed to work if you have a dependent visa. The answer is that you can, but only if you apply for permission and get a work permit.

It’s a bit confusing, because the Ministry of Foreign Affaris website (under Types and Categories of Visa) says that you may not work on a dependent visa.
Under the “Statuses of residence for engaging in specified activities in Japan”, there are three categories:(a) Statuses of residence permitting work(b) Statuses of residence not permitting work(c) Whether work is permitted or not depends on the contents of individual permits
Dependent visa is listed in the category of “(b) Statuses of residence not permitting work”. This seems pretty clear-cut — you can’t work if you are a dependent. The activities you may carry out are “Daily living activities on the part of the spouse or unmarried minor child of those who stay in Japan with a status of residence mentioned in Table (a) (excluding Diplomat and Official) or with a Cultural Activities or College Student status of residence.”
However, a few people have commented (special thanks to Bryet and Mark) that it is possible to get a work permit, which allows you to work with restrictions (e.g. the type of job or the hours you can work). You should apply to the immigration department if you need more information on this.

Visa System in Japan

A. Why Are Visas Necessary?
In principle, foreigners wishing to enter Japan (with the exception of shipping and airline crews) are required to apply at an overseas Japanese diplomatic establishment (embassy or consulate) for a visa to be stamped in or attached to their passport valid for travel to Japan. Under Japan's Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (hereafter referred to as the Immigration Control Act), it is stipulated that any foreigner wishing to enter or land in Japan must possess a valid passport and a visa obtained from an embassy or consulate. In other words, when foreigners apply to an Immigration Inspector (immigration officer) at a port of entry or departure (hereafter referred to as a port of entry) of an airport or seaport for an examination for landing, one of the conditions that they must meet is possession of a valid visa. Accordingly, if a foreigner does not possess the necessary visa, in principle he or she is not granted permission to enter Japan.
B. Characteristics of a Visa
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs receives many inquiries about visas, such as, "What is a visa?", "How should I go about obtaining a visa?", and "Are there any obstacles to entering and residing in Japan even after obtaining a visa?" Also, the ministry receives quite a few inquiries and even complaints from people who confuse the visa issued by an embassy or consulate and the landing permission (or status of residence permission) granted by an immigration officer belonging to the Ministry of Justice. These people ask such questions as, "How can I extend my visa?" (meaning status of residence permission) and "I cannot understand why my application for a visa extension has been rejected" (again, they mean status of residence permission). Often problems seem to occur at the time of entry into Japan because of inadequate knowledge or misunderstanding. We hope that this pamphlet will increase your understanding of Japan's visa system and assist in preventing these problems.
1. What is a visa?
On the basis of the Law for the Establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visas granted by the Japanese Government are issued only by embassies or consulates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A visa cannot be acquired after arriving in Japan.A visa is an indication of the judgement that a foreigner wishing to enter Japan should be appropriate to enter and stay in Japan.A visa itself does not guarantee landing (status of residence) permission. Please note that possession of a visa is just one condition for application for landing at an airport or seaport.Although there are some countries that do give visas the function of a guarantee of landing permission, most countries, like Japan, have a system which requires permission from immigration authorities as well as a visa.
2. What is landing permission?
Landing permission is stamped in a foreigner's passport by immigration officers at the airport or seaport where he or she goes through immigration procedures. It is this landing permission, not a visa, that serves as the legal basis for the foreigner's stay in Japan. A visa is only a recommendation and does not automatically guarantee landing permission.When a foreigner wishing to enter Japan arrives at an airport or seaport in Japan, he or she first of all has to apply to an immigration officer for landing permission. The immigration officer will check the validity of the foreigner's passport, the existence of a visa when necessary, the validity of the visa, the purpose of entering Japan, the scheduled period of stay, and so on. Landing permission will be granted only if all the conditions stipulated in the Immigration Control Act, including those being checked by the immigration officer, are met. The stamp of landing permission states not only the date and port of entry but also the status of residence (often referred to as immigration status) of the foreigner, which determines the activities in which that foreigner is permitted to engage in Japan and the term of residence of his or her immigration status. The receipt and validity of landing permission are prerequisites for any future applications at a regional immigration authority in Japan for a specific purpose, such as extension of term of residence or change of status of residence. Any such applications must be made at the nearest regional immigration authority to the applicant's place of residence in Japan.When an immigration officer at the port of entry completes an examination for landing and grants landing permission, the visa immediately becomes invalid (although multiple visas remain valid until the date of their expiration). After that, as explained above, it is the stamp of landing permission that serves as the legal basis for the foreigner's stay in Japan.