2nd toursit visa - not a visa waiver!

can a person get a new 90 day tourist visa if there is no visa waiver in place as with the usa etc, so a visa itself had to be acquired?
the person does not intend to work, only to travel further and has a place to stay and enough money to support themselves. Since our home country is so far away, it is not feasible to fly all the way home to acquire a new visa. I know those with visa waivers can just leave the country and return and get a new 90 day stamp but if you had to actually get a visa to come to japan can you acquire a new one at one of the japanese embassies at a closeby country?

It is theoretically possible to apply for an extension of your period of stay at an immigration bureau in Japan. But unless you are from one of the countries, which have a "6-month visa waiver agreement" with Japan (UK, Switzerland, etc.), I think you will need a really good reason in order for the request to be granted.

People with visa-waiver also run into problems sometimes if they are doing back to back 90 day visa-waivers.

I can only imagine that it would be much more difficult for those who have had a 90 day visa, then trying to get another 90 day visa right away.

The visa application process isn't instant so I would expect they would have to wait in Korea or some other country for a bit while all the documents are reviewed. But I would think it might not be approved, though I have no experience when it comes to actual visas for temporary visits.

Perhaps you could apply for a Certificate of Eligibility while you're in Japan. This would enable an embassy / consulate of Japan (in Korea, for example) to issue a visa quickly (perhaps overnight - call ahead and confirm).

Application for Certificate of Eligibility
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/01....

Yeah, I have similar questions but I essentially know the answer.

You'd have to go to Korea and then return to Japan. I've have more than 3 friends do that who came to Japan to find work while traveling on a tourist visa. They all flew neighboring countries while while paperwork was being reviewed.