Yes and no. A 90-day tourist visa is free for any American with a passport. However, you cannot legally look for employment, and more importantly, no company can legally hire you, or promise to hire you.
Oh OK, that's pretty much what I figured, but they really can't promise to hire you? interesting...
I an not saying someone wouldn't, but legally, no. I have found that these sorts of laws are followed very closely, though.
It's a huge industry. Demand for skilled people:high. Demand for skilled foreigners: low.
Why do you say that? Does being a foreigner honestly have anything to do with how skilled you are at your craft? Or even more importantly, how well you can do your job? I've worked in France, Mexico, and Spain and I don't speak any of their languages. I don't mean to argue with you, I just don't understand what you're getting at... unless Japan is completely different from the rest of the world or something.
Then maybe Japan is different than the rest of the world. Put it this way, you need to have a skill that above and beyond what a Japanese person can do AND be able to communicate in Japanese for you to be a valuble asset. More than that becaue the company needs to go through miles or redtape to hire a foreigner, and the first question the government will ask is "Why does Josh have that 125,000,000 Japanese don't?" That's why you get foreign athletes in Japan that don't speak Japanese: they have a special skill that Japanese don't have. That's why 99% of foreigners working for Japanese employers are English (foreign language) teachers. They have a skill Japanese don't. Japanese people don't speak English. So the responsibilty to be able to communicate will be yours.
Have you been to Arizona, or the West Coast? There are plenty of Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, who don't speak ANY English whatsoever, and who are doing very well financially. I've even worked with a few back when I worked at CJS Studios..
Daily. I don't think you are getting it. Japanese do menial labor in Japan. Go to McDonald's in many places in the US and everyone behond the counter is hispanic. You would never see a foreigner behind the counter at a McDonald's in Japan. How could a foreigner be more skilled at making fries than a Japanese?
.
Besides, I'm learning Japanese right now. I don't expect to be quote/unquote "fluent" in Japanese when the time comes, but there always a need for bilingual employees. ESPECIALLY in the movie business where you get people from all around the world working in one place. So, who knows... I might even have to learn a third language if it comes to it.
There is not always a need for bilingual employees. There is almost never a need for bilingual employees. Japanese movies are made by Japanese people and are in Japanese. Sure, there are international productions like "Letters from Iwo Jima", and there is a situation where your special skills would be useful. But how often does that come up? (And American production, too).
Cool. I'll search on my own, but if you could post up some links to the more important threads, that'd help a lot.
I didn't really follow those threads too much as I don't live in Japan now.
Citizenship? (Not legal permanent resident?) If you want to be a citizen of Japan get really good at soccer, play in Japan for many years while appearing regularly on Japanese variety shows, and then apply.
I didn't know there was an alternative to Japanese Citizenship... interesting... Legal Permanent Resident basically means i'm allowed to live, travel, and work within Japan, but am still opt for deportation if I break any laws, correct?
Right. I can think of about three foreigners that are Japanese "citizens". It never happens. You want permanent residency. The easiest way is to marry a Japanese.
If you are familiar with your industry, as i am sure you are, getting "in" is hard and takes a lot of luck. You need to start finding connections, or else I think this dream maybe very hard to fulfill.
Just like poker, yes, luck is a factor.. but there is also an incredible amount of skill involved as well. Case in point: I was offered a job down in Rome last summer, which I eventually had to turn down, but I've never even been to Rome before... and I don't speak Italian. They obviously didn't care whether or not I was able to communicate in their native tongue, or at least not as much as they did about how good I did my job.
That's too bad you couldn't take it. The first thing they care about in Japan is communication. Chances are a Japanese movie director isn't going to speak English. Let's say you want to be a cameraman. Even if you are a very skilled cameraman, if the director can't communicate with you, how can his vision make it to film? Italian directors probably do speak English. Japanese directors probably don't. Now if you are the best cameraman, or let's say cinematographer, in the business and have made a name for yourself, well then things change a little. It might be worth it for them to hire an interpretor. Otherwise I am not sure what about you is going to stick out.
Put it this way, in any industry where being your being a foreigner isn't an advantage, then it is automatically a disadvantage.
Again, I'm not arguing with you, honestly. I'm just trying to understand the situation in front of me.
You'll find out, if you haven't already, once I have a goal in mind I pretty much set out to accomplish whatever it is. So, if I come off as being prickly I do apologize. 
And thanks again for taking the time to help me out...
-Josh B.