Japan spouse visa
The spouse of a Japanese national, or of a permanent resident, can obtain a status of residence that allows work without restriction. Getting it starts in Japan, not at the consulate.
Register the marriage first
If you married in the United States, the marriage has to be registered in your spouse's koseki, the Japanese family register, before it exists as far as Japanese administration is concerned. That registration can be done through a Japanese consulate here, and the paperwork then travels to Japan.
Then the Certificate of Eligibility
Your spouse, or another sponsor in Japan, applies to the immigration bureau there. The bureau assesses the relationship, the sponsor's income and the housing. When it is granted, the certificate is posted to you and you take it to your consulate for the visa itself.
What the immigration bureau is assessing
The Certificate of Eligibility for a spouse is not a formality. The bureau looks at whether the marriage is genuine, at the sponsor's income and at the housing. Files are refused, and they are refused in Japan rather than at the consulate.
Photographs together over time, evidence of communication, and a clear written account of how you met carry real weight. Thin evidence is the usual reason a spouse application fails.The status once you have it
The status of spouse of a Japanese national permits work without restriction, which is unusual: most working statuses tie you to a category of job. It is granted for one, three or five years and is renewed inside Japan.
If the marriage ends
The status depends on the marriage. A divorce has to be reported, and the status does not simply continue. There are routes to remain, particularly where there are children, and they are applied for inside Japan.
A divorce finalised in the United States also has to be registered on the koseki, with the decree and a translation.