Student Visa Question - Period of Stay

Hello all! I've been accepted into Shinshu Univ - Matsumoto (Nagano) starting October 2007 Till September 2008. I have a friend who is working as a JET in Matsukawa-machi (50 miles north of Matsumoto).

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how long I'll be able to stay in Japan on my student Visa. I'd like to go early, as my friend has a house with a spare room, and I could stay with her. I can't find anything out about the Japanese rules regarding my period of stay, I tried my consulate, and a few others outside my jurisdiction, but I'm not sure they understood what I wanted. In the US you are allowed to come two weeks before the start of the semester, and stay up to one month after the end.

I can't find information such as this about Japan. If I go (land) Oct 1, 2007 must I also leave Sep 30, 2008 (last day of class). Which would leave me one day, when I arrive, to sing up for my apartment (they want me to do it Oct 1st), and one day to Go through the last day of class and leave Japan.

Can anyone tell me how long they where allowed to stay in Japan? How early I can go? My CoE states (One year) and my Scholarship starts in Oct, ends in Sep.

I'll leave my Job at the end of August, after that there is no reason for me to dally.

Thank you for any help!

P.S. To anyone whose done a year long study abroad program, did you need to have round-trip tickets?

Student visas are issued for 6 months, or 1 year, or 2 years, depending on the type of student.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/04.html

Going "early" may not be permitted. Your school must sponsor your student visa, and that start date probably coincided with the start of school (or close to it). Confirm this, or you may find yourself coming to Japan, and then having to leave again to activate your visa.

If I understand you correctly, your COE states that your visa will be valid from Oct.1 to Sept. 30, right? You might be able to request an extension on that, but you'll need a good reason.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Otherwise, don't even think about overstaying. Immigration is pretty harsh about that.

If the CoE states 1 year then its 1 year no more and no less. The exact period is determine when you get the real visa, should be written in there(or probably already written in the CoE - I don't think so tho, I forgot how they look like already). In my case, I arrive, unpack and go to school 2 days later.

And no I don't think you can come early. Unless you got another visa for that, or probably if your country have an arrangement with Japan that you can enter without a visa(don't quote me on this, I have no idea about this)

Or, when you apply your visa with the CoE, you should be able to set the date earlier (100% unsure if this is possible) but the date your visa end will be faster too. (I didn't apply for my first visa, my language school in malaysia helped me apply the visa after getting the CoE) So I'm guessing setting your own date should be possible. Maybe not too far away from the date the school start

Usually in some of my friend case or probably in my case(next year) we are able/should be able to extend our visa to tourist visa without much problem (so says the school I'm attending at) with the reason "joining the graduation ceremony". and I can't really confirm this, but I heard there shouldn't a problem to change your visa to 30days tourist visa after your student visa ends.

If you already got a student visa, theres no need for a round-trip ticket. I don't have one too

p/s: sorry for the too many unconfirmed info, this is the best I can give you based on my experience. Someone else probably can be more clear about this.

Okay

I've read just about everything about anything on the web and here's my conclustion.

Let me bounce this off at you to see it its right, I don't have my Visa yet (so I don't know if dates are printed on that)

From the point in which I get my Visa, it should say College Student and (One year) or some such. After my Visa is issued I can go to Japan at any time. When I land I'll get "landing permission" and they will issue my "permitted period of stay" for one year (which is what my Visa will say) The day I go will also determine the day I must leave Japan (one year later). So if I go early I'll need to get an extension (for up to 90 days on a visitor extension) to finish up school etc...

Sound right? Does a Visa list the exact dates you "should" be in Japan, or simply how long you've been granted?

Thank you for your time!

just checked my visa, and the only dates on it is the visa valid period sorry and yea, you should be able to go there anytime within the time period. And what you typed is correct.

Yeah, that's right. College student Visa's are usually valid for something like 5 years, but once you go and use them, if you have a 1 year visa, it will expire in 1 year from when you first enter Japan. You will also need to go get an alien registration card within 90 days as well. They take that card away when you leave Japan though... it sucks, I wanted it as a memento =(