Japanese Immigration

When I came to Japan, my company took care of all the "science bits", ie, sorting out my apartment, giving me a timetable and permanent work hours, and, most importantly, my VISA....Upon arrival, I was held at a desk at Fukuoka airport customs for about 20 minutes or so, maybe longer, as some chap had left my suitcase on a trolley for me to find-good, really, after a long flight. Then, once I moved to Kokura and was put up in a hotel while our predecessors finished the last ten days of their contracts, I had to go to Kokura Ward office (kind of like registering a Visa) and apply for my "Alien registration card" or "Gaijin card". Both names are equally horrible, but there it is. It contains all of the technical details of my year long stay condensed into one small credit card sized nugget, for ease of being checked by whoever feels like asking me for it. Anyway, people who come out and work for the company are issued with a year long Visa, BUT our contract ends nine days after the Visa expires.

Maybe this is all because it's unecessary and difficult to get a three year Visa for newcomers, but also because the school year ends on March 31st, so we have to work until then. However, this leaves employees with the task of getting an extension on their Visa for the sake of nine days-so, the company do all this for you, give you the forms and tell you to visit the Immigration office and apply for another year long Visa.
So, off I went to the Immigration office in Kokura, with all the forms filled in and my passport at the ready, etc... My friend had been the week before and walked in and out with no problems. However, when I went in they said "wrong form" and asked me to fill out another.

Then, they asked me to fill out another. However, this one had company details on which I couldn't possibly have known myself, such as annual earnings (Eek!) and number of employees in total!?!?! etc...

So, they said I'd have to get my company director to fill it in and come back. However, before they sent me away, the form I'd previously given them had most of the information on, but they had failed to even look twice at it. At one point, four men were gathered around, looking at my passport and my registration card (all having been photocopied several times, of course), and giggling to one another in a kind of superior way. Then, as I went to leave, one of them started to ask me questions which I knew by common sense he had no right to ask. I was frugal with my answers. I know my rights, mister!
"Why are you leaving your company?" Because my contract will expire.
"Did your company ened your contract?" No, I did.
"Why are you not staying with your job?" Because that's what I decided.
"Are you going back to England?" Eventually.

Then I walked out, because I knew there shouldn't have been all of those other men gathered around (slow day at the office) and question man was being intentionally awkward.

Well, my company director lady, Satch', got a call from them as they needed the information on the form, and the next morning, she decided to come with me in case anything else went wrong.
The minute we walked in, it was all poker-straight backs and bowing and "Sumi masen, sumi masen" politeness, as she signed my form and got nothing but ultra over-polite feedback at every turn (typical of Japanese service...usually).

Anyway, my friend applied at later using the same forms in a different city and said they didn't make a big issue of knowing the company details (but the immigration man was initially very moody). My other friend got his Visa fine. Four weeks on, I still have no Visa extension. I've had no letter, phonecall or photo tell me to pick it up. In 14 days, I will be illegally on Japanese soil, so I think they should really get a move on. Will I be arrested, questioned and deported?!?!? Tune in to the "Immigration and Away" soap opera for the next installment of this suspense-filled saga!

PS) I applied for a Chinese Visa (for my journey home-wahoo!) on Monday morning and it arrived in my apartment last night after work by special delivery. That's FIVE days, Japan. Sort it out...