I’m considering going to a language school in Japan but one of the requirements I saw from multiple sites is that you need to have your old passport with stamps. I’ve been to Japan multiple times under Tourist and SOFA sponsored stamps and lived there even as a kid under SOFA sponsorship, (probably have entered and exited like 15 times at this point from various vacations) and I saw on one of the immigration websites is that Japan does keep record of your entry and exits but *not* SOFA sponsored stamps. Would they accept just general dates (if I can even remember the ones from when I was a kid I hope)? I’m still desperately looking for my old passport but I’m not banking on finding it since we moved around so much.
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You wouldn’t be the first person to not retain an old passport. Hell, the passport I had when I first moved here got completely destroyed a few months after I arrived. Was never an issue when visa renewal time came. They’d like to see it if you can provide it but it’s not going to cause you any problems. General dates should be fine.
Is this the part on the form that asks about previous stays in Japan?
If so, that means stays under a status of residence, not holiday visits or business trips.