Will entering Japan for a short program void my student visa for study abroad later?

Hey everyone,

I’m hoping someone here can help me with a student visa/timing question.

I have two upcoming trips to Japan:

• In late July, I’ll be going for a short-term cultural exchange program through my hometown’s sister city.
• Then, in late August, I’ll be heading back for a study abroad quarter at a Japanese university, which will last until late November. Afterwards, I'm planning to stay in Japan until mid-December for tourism.

I'll also note that I'm a US citizen.

I’m planning to apply for my student visa soon, and I want to make sure the timing won’t cause issues. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

1. When I enter Japan in late July for the exchange, will that entry activate my student visa (even though I plan to come back in late August for school)?
2. If my late July entry activates my student visa, can I reenter Japan in late August with the same student visa?
3. Can I ask immigration to let me in on temporary visitor status for the exchange trip, or will they automatically use my student visa if it’s already in my passport?
4. Will the student visa cover the full period through December, including the post-program travel, or would I need to switch to a tourist visa after the program ends?
5. If I do need to switch to temporary visitor status, can I do that from within Japan, or would I need to leave and re-enter?

I would really appreciate any advice or guidance on this. Thanks everyone!