偽の日本エージェントの見分け方

8つの危険信号

• 領収書なし現金のみの支払い

  正規エージェントはすべての支払いに番号付き領収書を発行。書類なしで現金を要求する者は逃亡準備中。

• 「ビザ100%保証」

  No legitimate agency can guarantee visa approval — final decision rests with the embassy. Anyone making this promise is either lying or planning to skip refunds when it fails.

• No physical office or only Facebook presence

  If you can't walk into the office and meet a counsellor in person before paying, you have no recourse if things go wrong. Always visit before signing.

• Promises of universities you've never heard of

  Cross-check every Japanese institution they mention against the JASSO official list. "Direct admission to Tokyo University" without N1 + entrance exam is a fairy tale.

• Pressure to sign within hours / days

  "Last seat", "deadline tomorrow", "price increases Friday" are pressure tactics. Real intakes have months of runway. Take 48+ hours to read the contract.

• No on-the-ground presence in Japan

  Once you land, who picks you up at Narita? Who helps you open a bank account? An agency without Japan operations leaves you stranded after the visa.

• Agency wants to fill your visa form for you

  Embassy interviews check whether you actually wrote your form. Agencies that file on your behalf often add false information that you'll be questioned about — leading to instant rejection.

• No written refund clause

  If visa is rejected, what comes back? Government and school fees are non-refundable but agency service fees should have a clear, written partial-refund policy. "We'll talk about it then" = scam.

あなたの調査チェックリスト

エージェント契約に署名する前に、これら8つの質問を自分に問う。「いいえ」「不明確」が1つでもあれば、離れる。