working visa = kicked out of japan?

I have been reading that if you enter the country as a tourist (I'm from the US so I would use my passport and a ''Landing Permit'' right?) and then want to switch over to a working visa, you have to leave Japan and come back. I read that people fly to korea because it is the closest. Is this true? Why would they force you to leave and come back? Has anyone been through this?

and then want to switch over to a working visa, you have to leave Japan and come back.

No, you can make the switch inside of Japan at an immigration office. The process would probably involve:

1) getting a certificate of eligibility (most of this will be taken care of by your future employer). This can take 2 weeks to 3 months depending on several factors. If you do not get your certificate by the time your tourist stay expires (i.e. within 3 months), you have to leave and re-enter.

2) switch your status of residence from "tourist" to "working". This usually takes 1-2 weeks. You may stay in Japan even if your tourist stay expires during the waiting time

For details, you should address your future employer and the local immigration bureau.

Thanks for the response, that pretty much answered my question. So the people that had to leave, they were at the end of their tourist visa then I guess.

So did you personally go through this visa process?

So did you personally go through this visa process?

No, but my employees.