[Sangetsu]

I don't remember if I was asked for my alien registration card the last time I got a reentry permit. All I remember is that it took about 10 minutes at the Shinagawa immigration office and cost 6000 yen. Getting the alien registration card is not so easy because you need an address to link it to, as well as the address of the employer. The address you use will be verified, the ward office keeps a map of the area, and has the name of each resident listed at every address. You can ask for a receipt from the ward office showing that your ARC card is in-process, and that should be enough for a reentry permit. On the other hand, bureaucracies in Japan are unpredictable, and you may or may not be approved depending on how whimsical the agent who handles your paperwork is.

Would it be a problem to just let your visa lapse and reapply for it when you are actually ready to move?