Shortly after the March 11 disasters, Hans left Japan without a re-entry permit. He came back on a tourist visa and is wondering if he can easily regain his previous visa status:
"I am a German national and have been married to my Japanese wife for six years. We moved 'permanently' to Japan in September 2008. I received my latest spousal visa extension on Nov. 4, 2009, valid for three years.
"However, on March 17 I left Japan because of the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Due to the circumstances, I left without a re-entry permit. As a result, I re-entered Japan in June with a 90-day visitor's visa.