Renewal

In Japan, a lot of English words have weird meanings.  For example, everyone lives in a 'mansion'.  The first time a student told me he had a mansion in Tokyo, I was taken aback.  I knew I he was a high-level businessman, but who actually flat out says they have a mansion?  Then I learned that mansion actually means apartment in Japanese English.  Man, I love correcting people with that one now! 
In the same way, the world 'renewal' is usually used in the context of a store that has just undergone some renovation.  After a store opens again, the signs all say Renewal Open.  It's almost the correct usage, but not quite.  Well yesterday, I had a renewal of my own.  I went to the immigration office to get my visa renewed.  It was going to expire at the end of this month.  Look what they gave me:

My new visa- a three year extension!

Fear not!  I have no intentions of staying here another three years.  But the three year visa doesn't cost any more than the one year visa, so I was told just to go for it.  So I did.  And I got it.  If anyone had asked me a year ago if I'd renew my visa for three years, I'd have told them they were crazy.  And yet here I am.  Well I guess it doesn't hurt- right?