Completing the Japan Entrances and Exits Form

The form used to record your entrances and exits to Japan is normally the 履歴書（その２） {rirekisho (sono ni)} (personal history form part 2). On that form is a space entitled 出入国歴 {shutsunyūkokureki} (country exits & entrances) （最近　年間） {(saikin    nenkan)} (last    years).

Your case officer will tell you how many years you will need, however, it will be either five (5), three (3), or one (1) year, depending on whether you are 普通帰化 {futsū kika} (regular naturalization) or you're entitled to 簡易帰化 {kan'i kika} (simplified naturalization) which lowers the continuous physical residency test.

There are five columns. From left to right, they are:

1. 回数 {kaisū} (number) This is pre-completed with numbers running from 1 to 10.
2. 期間 {kikan} (period of time). They want the year-month-dates, in 和暦 {wareki} (Japanese era-years).
3. 日数 {nissū} (number of days). Partial days count as one day each
4. 渡航先 {tokōsaki} (destination). Just the country name, in Japanese, is sufficient. You do not have to write the legal name of the country (ie.
   アメリカ合衆国 {Amerika Gasshūkoku} (United States of America). The common name, such as アメリカ {Amerika} (America) or 米国 {Beikoku} (U.S.) is acceptable.
5. 目的，同行者等 (purpose, traveling companions, etc). The purpose will be something general, such as 出張 {shutchō} (business trip) or 家族訪問 {kazoku hōmon} (family visit) or 観光旅行 {kankō ryokō} (sightseeing vacation). The example form lists as traveling companions things like 会社の同僚 {kaisha no dōryō} (company coworker), 会社の上司 {kaisha no jōshi} (company superior), and 会社の部下 {kaisha no buka} (company report).
   
   If the field is the same as the field above it, you may write 同上 {dōjō} (same as above) for this field. You may not do that for the other fields, however.
   
   Our fictitious Korean applicant 金 {Kim}, who is featured in all the example paperwork, is a dedicated company man, apparently. Not once did he travel overseas with his family, and he spent all his time with people in his company!

The trips you list should be in chronological order, starting from the past.

At the bottom of the ten rows is a total column, titled 総出国日数 {sō-shukkoku nissū} (total days out of the country.

For each year to count as part of the continuous years of physical residence, you must:

• Not be outside of Japan for a continuous amount of time greater than 100 days
• Not be outside of Japan, in total for the year, greater than 150 days

It does not matter what the total is for the span of time, but each year must meet the criteria above. A year is defined as 365 days counting backwards from the date of the application evaluation.

If, for the period of one (1), three (3), or five (5) years, you had accumulated more than 10 overseas trips (like me, for example), you are to:

• write the first ten (10) trips on the 履歴書（その２） {rirekisho (sono ni)} (personal history form part 2)
• write 『つづく』 {"tsuzuku"} ("continued") next to that total
• ask your case worker for a copy of the special additional form — 帰化事件付録様式第28号 {kika jiken furoku yōshiki dai 28 gō} (Naturalization event supplemental template #28) — called 出入国歴表 {shutsunyūkokureki-hyō} (country exits & entrances form)
• make as many blank A4 copies of that form as you need. When you submit it, you will need to make two (2) copies of each completed form.
• write the sum total of all the entrances and exits, both on the 履歴書（その２） {rirekisho (sono ni)} (personal history form, part 2) and on all completed additional forms, in the 総出国日数 {sō-shukkoku nissū} on the 履歴書 {rirekisho} (personal history form)

The additional form has the exact same columns as the 出入国歴 {shutsunyūkokureki} area, except:

• There is more room for entries: 13 rows instead of 10
• There is no bottom row for the total days out of the country
• There is an area on the top right for the 申請者名 {shinseisha-mei} (applicant name) in 縦書き {tategaki} (vertical text)

If you're having trouble reading your passports entrance and exit stamps, or if a passport or stamps are missing, and you can't remember and/or don't have any records of when you traveled down to the day, don't fret: the government keeps the information in its computer system, and with passport, ARC, or 在留カード {zairyū kādo} (Residency Card) identification and the payment of a small fee, they will give you a copy of your immigration records regarding when you left and entered Japan.