you give a copy of your passport to them?
One of my mates in Osaka was told he can renew his apato but he has to give a copy of his passport. He already gave his gaijin card and he's in the frame of mind where he's getting sick of all sorts of Jp cunts demanding ID for this and that.
The gaijin card shows when his visa expires, the passport doesn't.
Does he have the right to refuse? Any debito substitutes out there who know?