Words like "deserve" or "fair" are simply not part of the vocabulary when it comes to immigration. For example, while I am not a US citizen, my wife is which means that once I inevitably give in and agree to move to the United States with her (she's continuously pestering me with it) I will just get a green card after filing some paperwork. And you can rest assured that there are plenty of people more "deserving" of a green card than me.
FWIW, in Japan you just get a spousal visa that's valid for 3 years (give or take). After that you can apply for a renewal. You can apply for a permanent visa after 5 years or so but there's no guarantee you'll get it.
This is not how the US immigration system works. America issues two types of visas: immigrant and non-immigrant visas. The "green card" in question is, in fact, the end product an immigrant spousal visa (IR1 and CR1). There is also a non-immigrant spousal visa called K-3.
Here in the EU it works differently, as my wife is a family member of an EU citizen (me) she automatically has the right of freedom of movement within the EU. The UK Border Agency has issued her a residence document to confirm her status but it's not a visa or an endorsement in away way; it's just a confirmation of her existing rights.
