Re-enter and extend stay

So I�fm going to go to japan from the end of September until the end of February to do unpaid internships. Since my internships are unpaid and I stay less than 180 days in japan and have a German passport, the embassy told me via e-mail when I asked them about a visa that I didn�ft need one and that I can extend it from the initial 90 to 180 days.

However I plan to visit a friend in Seoul South Korea in October. My question is do you think I can enter japan in September, go and visit my friend 4 weeks later and come back to japan after 4 days in South Korea, and then can extend the then renewed 90 days stay to 180?
I�fm not going to Korea to avoid getting a real visa since my overall stay from end of September to end of February would be less than 180 days anyway, but I am scared that the immigration office might think that and doesn�ft allow me to stay 180 days.
What do you guys think about that? Do think it works the way would do it ?

Also, can I re-enter with a temporary tourist �gvisa�h? Like if I arrive and then already tell them I�fd like to extend my stay to 180 days, is it possible to travel outside of japan within the 180 days and come back and then I don�ft need to get a new 180 days permit?

Hope I made my questions understandable, I�fm sorry that it is so long 😅 and thanks already in advance everyone 😊

So you want to come (let�fs say) on Sept. 20 to Japan for the unpaid internship, then do a trip out to South Korea Oct. 20 to Oct. 24, then stay till Feb. 28.

(I�fm going to set aside the question of whether you really don�ft need any kind of visa other than Temporary Visitor for long unpaid internships. There have been discussions about whether you need a visa for unpaid internships, and some say yes you do need �gcultural activities�h for unpaid internships over 90 days. But for now, let�fs say you don�ft.)


In terms of time line, you come to Japan on Sept. 20 (just as an example), you get Temporary Visitor status stamp in your passport that allows you to stay until Dec. 19 (maybe I am off by a day or so, anyways, 90 days). Then you leave on Oct. 20, come back Oct. 24th. You will get another Temporary Visitor status stamp, which should allow you till Jan. 23rd.

So before that expires, you need to go to one of the immigration bureau offices and apply for an extension of your Temporary Visitor status. Probably you will be asked about what you are doing, and to show proof that you have sufficient funds to stay in Japan without working (since paid work is not allowed on Temporary Visitor status).

All I can say that it should be OK. But a 5-month �gunpaid�h internship sounds somewhat long, so you should be prepared to answer honestly and to have sufficient funds to live.