'Shark Tank' Contestant -- My Fiancee is Still in Japan ... FOR NOW!

"Shark Tank" contestant Phillip Lapuz's fiance is still stuck in Japan ... even though he said she'd move to America if a deal was struck -- but don't worry, there's a good reason.

In case you missed it, Lapuz bawled his eyes out on last night's episode ... saying he couldn't move his fiancee Mariko to America because his business is not yet a success -- so her parents wouldn't approve.

The waterworks, and biz plan, hooked Robert Herjavec -- so it seemed like only a matter of time.

TMZ spoke with the Kronos Golf founder who tells us he had to keep the good news under wraps since the episode was shot back in June -- but now that it's aired ... he's put the clip in an email to Mariko's parents.

He's waiting for them to wake up in Japan to get the news he's bigtime now.