Almost...

For better or worse I've gone ahead and signed a letter of agreement to work another year in Japan.  I hadn't given any serious thought to returning to Canada so signing the dotted line was pretty well a foregone conclusion.  I won't say that the sentiment that it feels like I just got here is what led me to that result.  It's more a case of feeling that I'm settled in and I'm not in a hurry to move again.
This year's act of signing another contract has been accompanied by other "housecleaning" activities; getting a new passport and applying for a work visa extension.  The former was a bit of a SNAFU situation thanks to me being caught off guard by Easter Monday.  The latter has gone a bit more smoothly.  I say "a bit more" because of a snag I hit when I submitted my application and documents. 

After I had signed my letter of intent to remain with the company I had reminded them that I would have to get my work visa extended.  So our office manager was tasked with assisting me gather the required documentation.  She was able to obtain a number of them without my assistance.  In one case she found out that I would have to visit city hall in person to get the pertinent document.  On Sunday night I did a final check and everything seemed to be in order.  Then I noticed one item at the bottom of the checklist (incidentally it was all in Japanese) which had been handed to me; a revenue stamp.  After a quick check on the Internet I was relieved to find out I could purchase one at a post office.  So I was able to let out a sigh of relief and get some rest.

The "fun" started after I got into the immigration bureau office in Sendai.  When I submitted my documents for screening I was told that the application form I had been provided was out of date.  Okay.  The clerk made a quick inquiry and then found a form which I could fill out in lieu of redoing my application form.  So that wasn't a big deal.  I was given a number, asked to take a seat and wait to be called.  It didn't take an inordinate amount of time for me to be called up to submit my application and its attendant documentation.  After doing that I returned to my seat to wait until I was called again.

When called back to the counter I was advised that I needed another document.  Great.  I wasn't angry.  Just a bit confused and surprised.  I was given a letter of explanation (all in Japanese of course) and a self-addressed envelope to use for sending in the required document.  After giving my head a few incredulous shakes I trotted off toward downtown Sendai to get a bite to eat and do some shopping.  That exercise was relatively successful.  My mini katsudon and soba set was quite good and I was able to purchase a loaf of freshly baked German style sourdough rye bread.  The cashier chuckled when I asked him to cut me a slice off the loaf before he packaged it up for me.  I, for one, was not going to miss out on a chance to nibble on some fresh baked rye bread.  Especially in Japan. 

The gist of the documentation omission boils down to some peculiarity of taxation in Japan which I haven't completely figured out.  On their website the Japanese Department of Immigration mentions that one has to submit documents pertaining to income and payment of taxes.  But they don't say which or what documents.  Along with the salary schedule document from my employer I submitted a document from city hall that stated I had paid income tax.  But I believe I was also required to submit a document which amounts to being proof of being assessed income tax.  Of course my poor little Canadian brain wonders why one document can't serve both those functions.  My initial search of the city hall website didn't turn up any mention of such a document.  So it looks like I'm going to be having another lesson in the joys of dealing with bureaucracy, Japanese style.