What can we do during our third trip to Japan to make progress toward moving there?

Hi! My partner and I are in year two of a five – year goal to move to Japan. This upcoming November will be our third trip to Tokyo. Our first visit was in the summer just to experience it; the second was last February, when we spent time exploring neighborhoods and seeing what winter was like.

This time, we want to use the trip more proactively. Based on my research, it seems like our options for long-term residency are limited without either enrolling in school or securing a job with a Japanese company (we’re still beginner level in Japanese).

I’ve seen some services that offer visa guidance, and I’m wondering if it’s worth booking a consultation. We’ve also considered touring apartments just to get a better sense of housing – but not sure how productive that really is this early on.

To summarize:

1. Has anyone used their visit to Japan to make tangible progress toward moving there?

2. Are there organizations, representatives, or expat groups we could meet with to better understand the visa process and job landscape?

3. Any advice on how to make this third trip as useful as possible?

For context, I’m a recruiter in the hospitality industry, and my partner is an art photographer.

Thanks so much in advance for any feedback 🙂