Japan is, without a doubt, one the countries abroad that I would LOVE to visit over and over again! However, as a third world passport holder from the Philippines, we are always required to avail a Japan Visa whenever we want to enter their country — and such can be quite a hassle! STEP 1: DETERMINE THE TYPE OF JAPAN VISA THAT YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR.There are, of course, various types of Japan Visas out there that you can apply for: a visa for medical stay, a visa for business, a visa for transit, a visa for being a spouse, etc.For this particular guide, I will only be discussing the requirements for a tourist visa and visits to a friend or relative since they are experiences that I’ve gone through myself (both for single and multiple entry types, and if you’re visiting with or without a guarantor/sponsor) .If, however, you have a different situation or purpose of visit, it’s best that you head over to this page of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines for more information.2STEP 2: PREPARE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR APPLICATION..Depending on your circumstance, click the symbol ‘+‘ below to view the corresponding requirements for each section. Make sure that you have authentic, original, and complete documents at all times.(A) JAPAN TOURIST VISA WITHOUT ANY GUARANTOR/SPONSOR* * * * * *(B) JAPAN TOURIST VISA WITH NON-JAPANESE GUARANTOR/SPONSOR LIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES* * * * * *(C) JAPAN TOURIST VISA WITH JAPANESE GUARANTOR/SPONSOR LIVING INSIDE JAPAN* * * * * *(D) JAPAN TOURIST VISA WITH NON-JAPANESE GUARANTOR/SPONSOR LIVING INSIDE JAPAN* * * * * *(E) JAPAN MULTIPLE ENTRY TOURIST VISANOTE: If in case you are a Philippine national living or residing in a foreign country and you wish to avail a Japan tourist visa, kindly inquire with the appropriate Japan Embassy in the country that you’re living in. In my first visit to Japan, I applied for my tourist visa at the Embassy of Japan in Brussels, Belgium and the application was fairly easy — the requirements were almost the same as the above, maybe even less.3STEP 3: CHOOSE AN ACCREDITED TRAVEL AGENCY TO PROCESS YOUR JAPAN VISA APPLICATION...The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines does NOT accept direct applications (unless you have a very special or dire case). So what you need to do instead is go to an accredited travel agency — submit your documents to them and they will process your application for you!A Japan Visa is FREE, however, these travel agencies charge for the service that they offer of processing/sending your application, and their corresponding single-entry Japan tourist visa without guarantor fee are as follows (for fees on other types of tourist visas, kindly inquire with them or check their website).Universal Holidays in Makati = Php 1,200Discovery Tour in Makati, Cebu, & Davao = Php 800Rajah Travel in Makati & Ermita = Php 1,500Reli Tours in Makati, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Binondo and Las Pinas = Php 1,200Attic Tours in Pasay & Cebu = Php 1,500Friendship Tours and Resorts Corporation in Makati & Cebu = Php 1,200Pan Pacific Travel in Makati & Ermita = Php 1,000Pan Pacific Travel only accepts visa applications without Japanese guarantor.◘◘ Which is the best travel agency to go to if I want to increase my chances of approval?There really is NO best travel agency out there when it comes to visa approval because they have NO control whatsoever over that matter. Again, these accredited travel agencies simply ensure that the documents you are going to give are complete. After which, they just pass it to the embassy who makes the analyzation and final decision.If however, it’s about the best in price or the one closest to where you live, then yes, it will be easy to see who’s “best”.Personally, I applied to Universal Holidays because they were closest to my address at that time. They’re located in Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati alongside Reli Tours and Friendship Tours, but I ended up picking Universal Holidays because they didn’t have a long line. Once I was in, the overall process of submission was streamlined and easy too!NOTE: Only pass your documents to the accredited agencies above! If you’re located far away, it’s also possible to send your documents by courier or by representative. Just inquire with the travel agency that you’re interested in to see if such is possible.4STEP 4: WAIT FOR THE RESULTS OF YOUR JAPAN VISA APPLICATION...After you submit your documents to an accredited travel agency, you’ll just have to wait for their email/call/text message that either notifies you of when you can pick up your passport or when you still need to give them additional requirements. (Again, be aware that submission does NOT guarantee issuance of visa.)Visa processing normally takes 2-5 business days — I got mine in just 2 days with Universal Holidays.Also, I was told that if there’s a red sticker at the back of your passport upon pick-up, it means that your application has been denied. (Mine had a white sticker, which was approved).