The foreigner ID (在留カード) is a peculiar thing. In some ways, it looks a lot like your driver's license. It serves as your official identification if you live in Japan for longer than 3 months, and it's necessary to get anything from a cell phone to an apartment contract. Despite its necessity, it's fairly difficult to obtain. I began the process as soon as I came to Japan, and I just received it after nearly a month of living here. When I was a student, I received it within a couple weeks. Since they changed the system a few days ago, no one really understands the correct process now. Not even the government.
I initially waited to get the card because in the past you had to be at your permanent address before you were allowed to apply for it. My realtor kept asking for the paperwork even though I told him that I wasn't able to receive it. Finally, he told me that I wouldn't be able to apply for any apartment without the paperwork, so I went to the office and gave my temporary address. I learned that this was completely okay. When I asked about the changing card process, I was told not to worry and that everything would be handled. All I needed to do was take the paperwork to my new ward office after I moved, and they would handle the rest.
After the move, I contacted the Company and asked for permission to go early Monday morning before work so that I could handle the last of this government process. As I traveled to my local ward office (kuyakusho), I expected to miss only an hour of work max. I could easily make it up with some overtime that night. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.
I made it to the kuyakusho and asked the nice guard waiting outside for directions to the office. The map was something of a maze and wasn't to scale, so I figured it would be easier to just ask someone. When I got to the desk, I handed the gentleman my paperwork and explained that I recently moved. He informed me that I had to go to the prefectural office. Why? I asked, The system changes today. The local ward offices are supposed to issue the cards now. The man had no idea of the system change and told me just to go to the other office about an hour away by train. When I asked for directions, he told me he had no idea how to get there but he'd search for a map. The search took roughly 20 minutes. The map I received was more than a little frightening. It told me to get off on the wrong bus stop, so I walked about 25 minutes to the office after spending about half an hour by train and another 5 minutes on a bus. I walked on the sides of overpasses, past giant abandoned factories, and through neighborhoods that no woman should walk alone. But I did it all to receive this card.
I finally made it to that office and was told to fill out the same paperwork that I was currently carrying copies of because they needed originals. I figured this was just another example of the bureaucracy and quickly filled out my paperwork and headed upstairs. Little did I know that I know that I would wait in that line for 3 hours. I finally saw a person and she informed me that I needed to cancel my previous registration so that I could register again for this card. She wrote everything out for me on a piece of paper, told me to copy it to another piece of paper (signing under her handwriting wasn't allowed), and wait to be called again to receive my card. I called the Company, and told them that there was no way I was making it to work today. I'd work overtime the rest of the week to make up for it.
I waited another 4 hours. I only had a rice ball for breakfast; I never ate lunch. I rationed my little bottle of lemon tea like I was stranded on a desert island and it was the last ounce of liquid for a 1,000 miles. After 4 hours, I was called up again. "Write your name on this envelope please," I was told. "The computer system has regrettably gone down. We can't do anything else today." I'd been in this office for 7 hours. There was no way I was leaving without anything. Please, I need this paperwork for my company, I told her. Please is there anything you can do? Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu (Please do this for me. I'm putting myself in your care.) She talked to her boss. Her boss asked why I didn't take care of this at the local ward office. She talked to her boss's boss. No, there was nothing she could do. "Fill out the envelope please. We'll mail the card to you in a few weeks."
It's been another week. I finally received the card, but the address is wrong. I'll have to head to my local ward office in the morning. Here's hoping this time it works.
Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
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