can i have 2 wives in japan?

i have one wife in japan. both of us are foreigners. i want to marry a second wife. the law in my country allow me more than one wife. can i marry the japanese girl in my country and come back to japan and live with the two wives in japan.
is there any way to keep both of them with me in japan?

Polygamy is illegal in Japan so you wouldn't be able to marry here. Also, as far as I can tell, Japan does not recognize legal plural marriages performed in other countries, whereas some countries do (i.e. UK, Australia, etc). I suspect that if you were to marry a second wife in you home country, the second marriage won't be recognized under Japanese law and she wouldn't be able to take advantage of the benefits accorded a spouse.

Law: Japanese law does not allow bigamous marriages. If you marry your Japanese girlfriend in your country and come back with her, and if she tries to file her marriage to you (according to your country's law) to have it registered on her "koseki" (family registry), I would not be surprised even if the authorities refuse to accept it.

Living: You might find lack of understanding or lack of acceptance among people around you, including your landlord, neighbors, colleagues, etc., even though there is no law that specifically prohibits bigamous lifestyle in Japan.


Future issues if your marriage to your Japanese girlfriend according to your country's law is not recognized in Japan after-the-fact as valid:

- I see that you are on "Student Visa." Then maybe your first wife (non-Japanese) is on Dependent Visa, unless she has some other status on her own. There may be complications once you finish your school - as your second marriage to your Japanese girlfriend is unlikely to be recognized, you would not be eligible for a Spouse Visa, and your first wife would not be eligible for any status at all (except if she has Work Visa on her own).
- Children (if any in the future).


Concerning the validity of your second marriage in Japan, I recommend you consult a specialist/lawyer.

thank you very much for your replays. yes it is better to consult with a lawyer.