Can I change my "visa free" entry status within Japan?

Question

Can I change my visa status from visa to work within Japan, or do I have to re-enter the country?

Answer 1

In Japan, as in Korea, to change status you must leave the country and then return with a visa that is appropriate for whatever it is you intend to do: if you are going to teach English, for example, you must get all your documents together, leave Japan, apply for a teaching visa, then go back in with that visa.

Here is the web page from the US embassy that has to do with working legally in Japan:
http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7108.html

Answer 2

You would need to check with the Japanese Consulate.