Hi guys thanks for your replies.

Something I should have mentioned I guess is that my work visa doesn't expire until September. I was issued a year long visa even though I'm only working for 8 months, but now it looks like that's biting me in the ass:

To try and stay "by the book" I went to the Nagoya immigration office today to ask about changing my visa status. I explained to the clerk that my internship ends on the 28th of April, and I plan on travelling for 2 weeks after that (I will go back home to Canada on May 10th), but need a Japan Rail Pass to be able to do that, thus I need to change to a temporary visitors visa when my work finishes on the 28th. This seems to me like a reasonable request, and even the person at the information desk said that it shouldnt be a problem and should only take a few days. However, after bringing it to a clerk and having him discuss it with his supervisor, I was informed by him that "making this change is very difficult and requires good reason". I wasn't really sure what kind of better reason for changing from a work to a temporary travel visa existed so I asked, and he said that if, for example, it was the end of my work visa (september) and I still wanted to travel, then they would grant me the travel visa. This is furstrating because my situation is pretty much the same. My work time here is ending and I want to travel after (which I can only afford to do if i can get a rail pass), it's just not when my visa happens to be ending because of the way it was issued. He suggested entering back from my trip to Korea on a temporary visitor visa, but that would bar me from working the last 9 days of my internship, which I need to work.

Does anyone know if I might be able to more effectively argue my case and get permission to change to a temporary visitor visa once my internship ends? It seems pretty strange that I could accomplish that by spending a few hundred dollars to fly anywhere then fly back immediately, as all Canadian citizens are granted 90 days temporary visitors visa whenever they enter Japan, but they won't just grant me the visitor visa themselves without making me fly somewhere first even though it's within their power.

Highcommander, you implied that I might not want to mention my intention to use the Japan Rail Pass? Is there a reason for that? I mean the way I see it it's the only compelling reason for them to grant me the temporary visitors visa, as there's nothing else from stopping me from being in Japan until May 10th since my work visa won't expire.

Alternatively, is it really actually likely that I'd be caught if I re-entered from Korea on a temporary visitor's visa, worked the last 9 days of my internship and then did my travelling? I mean I'd only be in Japan for 21 days total on the visa which is good for 90. How would they ever know that I worked the first 9 days? I know that there are certainly consequences for being caught (anyone know how bad they are?) but it seems like not a very big deal and if I didn't tell anyone here then noone would find out. But if anyone has any experience of this nature with Japanese immigration that illustrates this as a very bad idea I'd definitely love to hear it.