Changing tourist visa to spouse visa?

hi! i am a filipina and a permanent resident in japan. i am divorced to a japanese . i have a filipino boyfriend living in the states and a US citizen. We are planning to get married and stay together for good in japan and so he must go to japan first as a tourist. My question is ,can we able to get married or process our marriage while he is still in japan even he only have a tourist visa?
thank you for those who answers.

I'm pretty sure visa status is no impediment to the process of marrying. It would be a good idea to consult with an immigration lawyer first, just to try to foresee any potential problems with you sponsoring him for a visa.

The answer is yes. People change from tourist status to various visa statuses all the time within Japan. Just ask ahead for all the necessary paperwork you will need.

BTW,
If your boyfriend is an American citizen, do not refer to him as filipino when you talk to immigration. It will be confusing and might lead to problems with processing the visa.