Japan e-Visa vs Sticker Visa for Bachelor Group Travel and Passport Retention Issues

I am currently planning a trip to Japan with a friend and we are navigating the visa application process from India. I am a bachelor and my friend is applying separately from Hyderabad. I have a few specific concerns regarding the e-Visa versus the sticker visa, particularly because I have another international trip scheduled soon which makes surrendering my passport difficult. I want to ensure my application remains strong despite these logistical hurdles.

  1. If I apply for the e-Visa to avoid physical passport submission but have an upcoming trip to another country, will the presence of other pending travel or the inability to surrender the passport for a sticker visa affect the approval of the Japanese e-Visa?
  2. Does the fact that we are two bachelors traveling together but applying from different locations and through separate applications impact the perceived “genuineness” of our tourism intent?
  3. Apart from the obvious benefit of keeping my passport, are there any hidden disadvantages or differences in the rights/validity granted by an e-Visa compared to a traditional sticker visa?

I would love to hear real experiences regarding these friction points before I finalize my application type.

Realizing this is not about the standard tourist sticker visa, just letting you know that the Japan e-Visa is specifically designed to bypass the physical ‘issuance’ bottleneck. So FYI: your upcoming travel won’t hinder the digital process because there is no ‘IN country’ passport retention required. Further, while the e-Visa is convenient, it is strictly for ‘short-term’ tourism only. This ultimately will be the law for your entry, so just ensure your documentation reflects that specific ‘highly qualified’ status of a genuine visitor. It is simply a more efficient bridge for your journey.

Has anyone from India used the e-Visa for a group trip where members applied from different jurisdictions (like Hyderabad vs. Delhi)?