How to get Citizen ship

Ive been researching how i would go about getting a permanent citizenship when i move to japan. right now i am currently 17 years old and ive been looking at how much apartments cost, and living expenses when i finally do make to move. i don't plan on making the move till i graduate college (4 to 6 years) and i plan on saving money over these years so when i do move i can have money to do what i need to do. So if you have any information on how i would go about citizenship i would greatly appreciate it.

(Btw i am currently residing in the US)

You can get Japanese citizenship by living in Japan for 10+ years. Less if you are married to a Japanese citizen.

So, before thinking about how to get the citizenship, you should be thinking about how to get a work/student visa:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e625.html

You may want to read this first:

http://www.crisscross.com/forum/m_919173/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#919173

i just wanted to know how i would go about the process of gaining citizenship, i know i need to get Visa to live over there but what kind of long term visas can i get that would span over 10+ years?

Brandon, Visa types very greatly, many visas allow you to stay in Japan for a long time (with renewals every few years), the Obvious visa that would be available for you to start with is a Work Visa.

And with a work Visa it allows me to get a job in Japan right? by the time i even go to Japan i should have graduated college (Which is when i intend on making the move) and i am looking to get a degree/degrees in Computer Networking and something in the Gaming industry, would a degree help me attain a visa or getting a job in Japan easier?

You need a job offer first before you can apply to get a work visa.

Computer Networking and something in the Gaming industry,

While I'm not saying its not possible, its really hard to get a job in these industries, as there is already a large Japanese job market for Japanese people as well. Not to mention, the lack of Japanese language skills.
I'd take a lot of Japanese language courses if available.

I plan on taking at least Years of Japanese Language before looking for Jobs in Japan.

I think to effectively work in the *regular Japanese workforce you're going to need a lot more than a year's worth of Japanese. Something on the high proficiency to fluent level would be required.

*When I say regular Japanese work force I mean jobs with Japanese companies where' you'll be dealing mainly with Japanese colleages, bosses, customers etc, jobs other than Language teacher or similar jobs.

This is a basic introduction to visas in Japan:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2221.html

Sorry i misspelled my last post, i plan on taking at least 4 to 6 years of Japanese Language courses, and would hope that i become fluent in the language, and when i finally make the move to Japan a job in IT/Computers would be great but will definently keep my options open

Try going to one of the universities in japan that cater to foreign students with classes taught in english? That way you can experience living in japan and learn some of the language and really find out if you want to live here. The grass is always greener on the other side and things always seem to look a lot more appealing until you actually attain them. You can waste a lot of years dreaming about japan and then find out its not how you had hoped it would be.

Anyway the schools i know of are Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, in Beppu.

The other schools are in tokyo: Sophia University Faculty of comparative culute, Waseda University school of international liberal studies, and Temple University Japan(This is an american school and probably your best choice.)

As far as Japanese citizenship goes, i would forget about it. Japanese generaly like americans and think they are cool, but they will never accept you for anything else, except what you are in their eyes: a gaijin - a foreigner, no matter what you're passport may say.

...I meant to say Sophia University Faculty of Comparative Culture

Well before i even think about moving over to japan i plan on Visiting first, i may want to live in Japan now but that can always change when i visit for a while, As for schools in Japan to learn the language its definently an idea ive thought about but i have found Japanese language courses in my area with Native instructors but Taking classes in Japan isnt out of the question

The schools i listed above are not language schools, they are 4 year universities that will lead to an undergraduate degree. Classes are all taught in english, learning Japanese is just an added bonus.

It doesn't matter how other Japanese might view you or accept you depending on your prior nationality or skin colour, if one is intent on living in Japan for the rest of their life (after a 10 or so year period while you're living there I'm sure you'll have had plenty of time to think about it) or if you're married for a while, there is still a benefit in obtaining citizenship.

If you really feel like living in Japan permanently is for you, go for it! I'm in the same boat as you too.

Visiting the country first might be a better idea. This way you can get a feel for the country before making your move. You might also want to think about going to a univeristy in the states and learn Japanese. I say this because if you move to Japan without any knowledge of the language and then takes classes, it may be harder to adjust. I hope that was understandable.

And, also, what's with this whole "no matter how much you learn/know about Japanese Culture, you will never be accepted by them" mentality? I don't think all Japanese are that cold! From what I've heard, most Japanese are happy to have someone who is not Japanese learn about their culture. To them, it shows that you are sincere and went out of your way to educate yourself about them. Of course, they won't accept you as a Japanese person because you're not! But they will accept you for your love of Japanese culture and for who you are individually.

Thank you all for the information i have been giving, this is a goal of mine and i hope to one day achieve it, i have been learning basic japanese now and im hoping with 4 to 6 years of training i can be fluent in the language. i Appreciate the help and incite i have been getting and i wish you all good luck in the future!

i need to change from spouse visa to citizenship

Have you looked at the Immigration website or contacted them directly?