The Most Desirable Places to Live in for Foreign Residents in Japan

Japan is undergoing an exciting shift. The number of foreign residents living in the country has reached a record high¹, and the pool of people who call Japan home is becoming steadily more diverse. But when those who are relocating to Japan⁠(opens in new window), such as people who have moved for work⁠(opens in new window) to support their family back home, those who have relocated to another office within their company, digital nomads, or international students, need to decide which Japanese destination they'd most like to live in, where do they turn?

To help potential newcomers to Japan, Remitly surveyed 400 foreign residents already living across Japan - from 40 countries and regions, spanning every adult age group - asking each of them to name their top three places and to explain why. Rankings were compiled by awarding five points for a first-choice selection, three points for a second-choice selection and one point for a third-choice selection, then totalling the points for each town.

The result is a guide to the most desirable places to live in for foreign residents in Japan: a bottom-up picture drawn not from tourist stereotypes or property data, but from the lived experience of people who already know what it's like to make a life here. Given that four out of five of respondents have lived in Japan for more than a decade, the findings reveal not just a ranking, but an experienced story - about the enduring appeal of Yokohama, the surprising strength of Hokkaido, and the way none of Tokyo's 23 special wards made the top three of Tokyo itself.

Yokohama, in Kanagawa Prefecture, tops the overall ranking with 332 points in a comfortable lead over second-placed Sapporo (309). Its appeal is built on the fundamentals of everyday life: 28.8% of respondents who chose Yokohama cited well-developed public transport as a reason, and 27.9% of Yokohama respondents named ease of finding work.

The city's setting also drew comment. Several respondents described being drawn to the way Yokohama combines urban infrastructure with the natural environment - a coastal city with abundant greenery, sitting just a short train ride from central Tokyo but offering a distinctly calmer daily rhythm.

Looking at living costs, for a family of four, they average out to ¥469,237 ($2987) a month, excluding rent. Public transport, which was another draw for Yokohama, averages out at about ¥8,950 ($57) a month, one of the most affordable of the top 10².

For foreign residents making practical, long-term decisions about where to build their lives in Japan, Yokohama's ability to deliver the convenience of a major city and the space of a slightly slower one appears to be a winning combination. For those considering a move to Japan for work, remember to use Remitly to send money from Japan⁠(opens in new window).

Six of the destinations in the overall top 10 (Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Fukuoka and Naha) are all located in western Japan. Extend the list to the top 20, however, and eastern Japan pulls ahead with a total of 12 entries.

The two halves of the country show contrasting patterns. In western Japan, support from foreign residents is concentrated in a small number of major cities. The top three most recommended cities (Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka) alone account for more than half of the region's total points in the study.

In eastern Japan, support is spread more evenly across a wider range of places, from Yokohama and Sapporo at the top, through mid-ranking cities like Sendai and Hakodate, all the way down to smaller destinations like Kamakura and Karuizawa.

Nagoya drew support for its combination of ease of finding work and well-developed public transport (both 26.0%), followed by education and childcare (17.8%). Respondents described the city as "easy to find a job in" and "easy to live in" - a picture of straightforward, practical convenience. However, Nagoya is one of the most expensive cities for people to live with monthly expenses averaging ¥546,732 ($3,480) (the highest of the top 10) for a family. It also has the least affordable public transport costs in the top 10 and childcare costs can be expensive.

Osaka⁠(opens in new window), which is home to the largest foreign resident population of any government-designated city in Japan³, placed third in western Japan and fifth overall. Its votes were driven by ease of finding work and education and childcare (both 25.0%), followed by reassuring healthcare and welfare and well-developed public transport (both 18.3%). One respondent noted they could "live there with peace of mind." It’s a decent choice for the cost-conscious too. Despite being a huge tourist destination, living costs in the city are relatively low: ¥435,962 ($2,775) for monthly family expenses, ¥5,150 ($33) for a monthly public transport pass and ¥81,614 ($520) for full-time childcare cover⁶. These were all the lowest costs in their categories out of all top 10 locations.

Among the municipalities of Tokyo⁠(opens in new window), Machida (8th overall) came first, Hachioji (14th) second and Musashino (15th) third. Notably, none of Tokyo's 23 special wards made the top three within Tokyo itself, and only Machida made the overall top 10.

The reason is telling: all three of the top-ranked Tokyo municipalities sit in the Tama area, and the reason cited most often for choosing them was consistent; "a large number of universities and other academic institutions" (25.0% for Machida, 27.3% each for Hachioji and Musashino). The concentration of universities and junior colleges across the Tama area appears to give it an identity, in the eyes of foreign residents, that sits apart from central Tokyo - one shaped more by student life and academic culture than by corporate headquarters.

Across the study, no single reason dominated. The most-cited reason for choosing a town was ease of finding work (11.4%), followed by well-developed public transport (11.1%) and the beauty of nature and scenery (10.8%). Education and childcare (9.9%), the atmosphere and culture of the town (9.3%), safety (9.0%) and reassuring healthcare and welfare (8.1%) all followed close behind.

Of the 18 possible reasons on offer, the top seven sat within just over three percentage points of each other. That points to a striking pattern: foreign residents choose destinations for the overall strength of the life they offer - a combination of work, environment, family and safety - rather than for one specific standout feature.

Perhaps most notably, reasons directly related to how a town receives foreign residents were each cited by fewer than 3% of respondents: "an international atmosphere" (2.7%), "an atmosphere in which foreigners are welcomed" (2.5%), "multilingual support" (2.4%) and "the presence of a community from their home country" (2.3%). Given that 80% of respondents have lived in Japan for more than 11 years, the study points to a pattern in which experienced foreign residents choose cities and towns using similar criteria a Japanese resident may use, rather than by markers of "foreigner-friendliness."

If you’re considering moving to Japan, we recommend you get clued up on how to secure a work visa in our full guide⁠(opens in new window).