Interviews and where they actually take place in Tokyo
Just wanted to share some pictures of the actual booth where all the interviews (pre and post formal application submission) take place if your registered residency happens to fall within the Tokyo metropolitan area.
You will likely be a frequent visitor to the Nationality Section (国籍課) of the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) located right outside the elevator on the 8th floor of the Daini Gōdō chōsha (第二合同庁舎) building right in the heart of Japan's bureacracy where many of the government's ministries lie and a few minutes by foot from Kudanshita station. This is the place where you reserve your appointments, interviews are conducted and also where you formally submit your naturalization application.
The clinic-like atmosphere may seem like a small visit to the doctor on your very first visit. Most likely all visits will be conducted in small booths covered by a small curtain (you can clearly hear conversations of other candidates/consultees) during each of the 30-minute to 1-hour appointments.
Once you make your first appointment by phone, you will usually be greeted by an official working at the Nationality Section asking for your name and directing you to fill out a visitors/consultation form - Sōdan hyo (相談票) with your name, date of birth, address, nationality, # of visits to the Nationality Section and purpose of visit similar to the sample below.
Once you submit this form by placing it into the box on the lobby like table in front of the small walkway that leads to the individual consultation booths and wait for your turn to be called on to speak with your case officer who will guide you to one of the booths. This is the place where everything happens - whether you call it interrogation, questioning, checking and validating paperwork or even just casual friendly chit-chats with your case officer. In my case, as I was not able to attend the naturalization ceremony, my naturalization certificate was also handed to me along with advice on how to properly register as a Japanese national at the respective ward, return my alien registration card (residence card, issued post July 2012) to the immigration, and new passport application at the passport office at one of these booths.
A closer look at the actual booth:
You will likely be a frequent visitor to the Nationality Section (国籍課) of the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) located right outside the elevator on the 8th floor of the Daini Gōdō chōsha (第二合同庁舎) building right in the heart of Japan's bureacracy where many of the government's ministries lie and a few minutes by foot from Kudanshita station. This is the place where you reserve your appointments, interviews are conducted and also where you formally submit your naturalization application.The clinic-like atmosphere may seem like a small visit to the doctor on your very first visit. Most likely all visits will be conducted in small booths covered by a small curtain (you can clearly hear conversations of other candidates/consultees) during each of the 30-minute to 1-hour appointments.
Once you make your first appointment by phone, you will usually be greeted by an official working at the Nationality Section asking for your name and directing you to fill out a visitors/consultation form - Sōdan hyo (相談票) with your name, date of birth, address, nationality, # of visits to the Nationality Section and purpose of visit similar to the sample below.
Once you submit this form by placing it into the box on the lobby like table in front of the small walkway that leads to the individual consultation booths and wait for your turn to be called on to speak with your case officer who will guide you to one of the booths. This is the place where everything happens - whether you call it interrogation, questioning, checking and validating paperwork or even just casual friendly chit-chats with your case officer. In my case, as I was not able to attend the naturalization ceremony, my naturalization certificate was also handed to me along with advice on how to properly register as a Japanese national at the respective ward, return my alien registration card (residence card, issued post July 2012) to the immigration, and new passport application at the passport office at one of these booths.
A closer look at the actual booth:
