Not to mention you're freelancing. Which means you are technically working without the paperwork/visa that allows you to. There is some sort of paperwork being filled out. Perhaps not on your end but the one receiving the product.

I just remembered, I cant be 100% sure on this but I think you're only allowed a maximum of 3 consecutive tourist visas. After that, I dont know how long you need to wait before you can get another tourist visa. Even then you'll be asked for the reasons of extension.

Well i met a guy a few days ago and hes been here now for 9 months, so he did the run 2 times and hes now going to Korea to work for a month and than coming back (not legal work...).
I suppose at least twice should be doable.

It seems to me like that would be an expensive lifestyle.

Actually, you can usually book a roundtrip to Korea for 20,000yen - or even less if you plan way ahead and go with a group. Stay at a cheap hostel for a few days and you can literally pull it off for less than 30,000yen.

Ah, I see. Though I was kind of referring to the whole lifestyle in general... Would you just work freelance, bouncing from one temporary job to another?

*I* wouldn`t, as I prefer stability - but for some people I imagine it works out quite well (Except for the illegal bit). It they find enough jobs that pay enough, then it is possible to make a fair amount of money I suppose.

My plan is to spend all of my summers and winters living in Canada and my springs and autumns living in Japan.

I think I can make it work. The trick is to find a wife in each country without creating any suspicion amongst the two. :D

The unofficial limit seems to be 180 days in Japan in a 12-month period. I know a lot of people who have been given a second tourist permit after a short trip to Korea or Taiwan, but the third permit in a row seems to be rare to non-existent. Even when coming back in the first time you can expect to be questioned, although if you are from a developed country it seems they will usually let you back in.

If you can stick to the 180 days in a year limit (and convince Immigration that you are not working here), then you should probably be ok.

I've done it, and it does depend on the immigration officer. I wouldn't want to do it again. 180 days is a guide, but it really has to do with one of two things: 1) proof of income or 2) proof of intent to leave. If you're rich, you will have zero issues. If you have enough money to prove income for each three month period ON HAND (or with bank statements) you are also fine. The second is much more common, a return ticket. My last time (trip number three), immigration was mighty suspicious. Luckily, I had proof I was still teaching in Korea. I wasn't, I had quit that job, but I had the paperwork saying otherwise. To Japan, it was enough for them to believe I would not abandon a job elsewhere just to lounge around Japan, and thus said paperwork proved I had an intent to leave. When my paperwork for my Japanese visa came up, there was no issue, it was just "oh, you decided to take a job here?" And I was like, "Yep, Korean job knows." "Oh, okay. Great. Here you go." No issue at all.

In the end these restrictions are only to prevent abuse of the social services of the country. As long as you can provide evidence you are not a burden (or working illegally), then you can come in as many times as you want. For most people outside of the fabulously wealthy, this is just not possible to keep on proving.