work vs spouse visa: which is easier?

On a tourist visa now, staying with a Japanese woman with whom I plan to marry. Also have a company that offered me a job with visa sponsorship. As far as the immigration process is concerned, is it easier to have a work visa approved or a spouse visa approved when already in the country on a tourist visa. I don't want to have to go back to my country to get a CoE.

From the approval standpoint, I don't know which is easier.

But personally I would go for the work status first. Usually the company will take care of all the paperwork required to file so you only have to gather documents to give to them, while for a spouse status you and your wife have to fill it all out in addition to getting everything together. Since you aren't married yet, you'd have to get all that paperwork in and get married at city hall before you apply for the change in status at immigration, so its a lot more steps for you, and you'd need to do it quickly which might raise some red flags with immigration (i.e. they might think you got married only to stay in the country). If you start with a work status and switch to a spouse status when your extension comes up, it might look better to immigrations.

as above, it always looks better to immigration if you already have the right to stay and work in Japan. So i would go with the work visa first, and that then gives you more time and flexibility for getting married at a later date.