Thanks for the accounts! My story is that back in the late 1960s I would go in the Post Office and you would always see a bulletin tacked up saying-
“All aliens must register yearly” (It might have been twice per year) What this meant was all immigrants and refugees had to notify the Feds (INS probably) where they currently lived. The same place or if they had moved...they still had to make contact with the Feds at least yearly
For sure Japan requires this of all visitors. (virtually no immigration to Japan) Germany too requires immigrants and visitors or used to. Probably other European nations. We gave this up years ago. But IIRC correctly Donald Trump has brought it up again. To require all (visa) visitors and immigrants, refugees to report in yearly about their whereabouts.
The Japanese will deport you ASAP if you mess around with them on this or forget