Originally Posted by
Steve M
Is she a US permanent resident? This is an open question in this thread that's not been answered definitively yet. Some countries, but perhaps not Japan, will easily issue tourist visas to nationals of countries that would normally require an extensive visa application if they can prove that they have US permanent resident status. I guess the theory is the chances of a national from those countries wanting to immigrate illegally to Japan to work is reduced dramatically if they already have the right to live and work in the US.
I expect the agents with responsibility for issuing the visa will issue a visa. As previous posters have said, it seems extremely likely that they would issue a visa in the case of a spouse of a US citizen with 1) Proof of sufficent funds, 2) Proof of history of travel, and 3) Proof of return (onward or return airline ticket). Permanent US residency might serve as "icing on the cake" in terms of supporting the story that the applicant does not intend to migrate to Japan. However, it doesn't appear to be a requirement.