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ejected from Japan

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

I flew back to Tokyo with Mari today, but was ejected by the Japanese authorities, who rightly deducted that I was working in Japan on a tourist visa. The Canadian authorities were somewhat surprised to see that I was back in Canada well under 24 hours since I left, and the Customs people directed me to Immigration! The Immigration guys were incredulous that a big company like EDS could have got this so wrong, but here I am: a cautionary tale for others.

I didn't know it, but it was not possible for the Japanese EDS unit I'm working with to assemble said visa on my behalf, and I don't know that they knew it either. It turns out that the unit I've been working with is different from the unit that arranged for all of the visa-based work visits that people were doing previously. I'm really unhappy about the situation, and feel that I've been massively let down by my employer. To underscore: at this point I have no home to go back to in Toronto and my clothing and other effects are in Tokyo.

One bizarre thing that's emerged is that the client in Tokyo has expressed an interest in me continuing to work with them, and the Japanese business unit has also expressed an interest in my staying on. So... I'll be working from here in the evenings to work on Tokyo time.

I have to say, I've had it with chaos, it's been years since I felt settled.