How long must one be out of Japan to reenter?

I entered Japan last august and got a 90day visitor visa, then I went to Korea for a weekend and got another 90 days . I left Japan in January of this year. I spent a total of 4 and a half months there. I have been home now 3 months and want to return. What are my chances of getting another 90days. I am a tourist, do not work and my son will attend high school as a visiting student

There is no rule and it is impossible to estimate your chances.

Where is your home country?

If you normally get 90 days stay in Japan with a visitors visa, every time you leave and them reenter, it will start from the start with another 90 Days.

kms899, but you can't constantly do that because you will not be a "temporary visitor" anymore; you'd be "residing" there. There is a limit on the number of times one can do this so-called (erroneously) "visa run".

Immigration doesn't have to grant you access even after the first time you leave. It's their discretion and if there's reason to believe you're abusing the system, you won't be granted another Temporary Visitor Status stamp at your entry point and will have to return home.

I understand what you mean, I'm just commenting as a overall procedures as a normal tourist visitor visiting Japan, and not for continuous exit and reenter.

Hmm, first i heard of this. I always presumed that as long as you have a chop on your passport indicating the entry visa you are safe. I get this as i go through immigration due to friendly bilateral ties between countries.

There is a guy i know whose family is in another country. As a local resident, he cannot stay with his family all year long thus he flies to some country every 6 months.

If you normally get 90 days stay in Japan with a visitors visa, every time you leave and them reenter, it will start from the start with another 90 Days.

Every entry is at the discretion of the immigration officer. There is no confirmed rule, but word on the street is that you're more and more likely to run into trouble if you try to spend more than 180 days in Japan in a one year period.

I always presumed that as long as you have a chop on your passport indicating the entry visa you are safe.

No, your travel history is scrutinized. Visa waiver doesn't necessarily mean automatic entry.

There is a guy i know whose family is in another country. As a local resident, he cannot stay with his family all year long thus he flies to some country every 6 months.

In Japan? No problem coming and going if you're a resident. This discussion is in relation to non-residents only.

Mary Rose,

Depending on what country you are from you may be able to apply for a tourist visa in advance so that you can make confirmed plans. I wouldn't count on getting another 90 days but you never know.

Also, how long has your son been an exchange student for?