Fernshore
Get a sample report

Country research

Japan

Prices overall are about 0.65 of United States prices at market exchange rates, and EF ranks English proficiency 96th of 123 (2025: 446). Remote workers can apply for a Designated Activities status of up to six months with no extension, which asks for an annual income of at least 10 million yen. We found no retirement visa; a long stay of up to a year is open to people with more than 30 million yen in savings. [C1] [F1] [K1] [R1] [R2] [R3]

Capital
Tokyo
Currency
Japanese Yen
Language
Japanese
Time zone
Asia/Tokyo
Settings
By the sea, In a city, In a small town, In the countryside, In the mountains [G3] [G4] [G5] [G6] [G7]
Weather
Four seasons [W1] [W2] [W3] [W4] [W5]

The Fernshore Index

How it grades, factor by factor.

Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.

Cities

Cities in Japan.

Each city page shows which figures are its own and which are the country's.

Topics

The detail on Japan.

Guides

Japan, by passport.

Each guide is written for citizens of one country.

For your situation

Japan for different circumstances.

Questions about Japan.

Do I need a visa to visit Japan on a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport?

No visa is needed for a short visit: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists all four countries among 74 visa-exempt places, with 90 days granted at landing. Canada says work stays need a visa and the US Embassy says visa-free visitors cannot work. Ask a Japanese consulate about your plans before you book.

Visa exemption: reciprocal arrangements with 74 countries and regions (page dated 1 September 2025), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Internet Archive copy captured 5 October 2026); Japan: travel advice and advisories (entry and exit requirements), Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca); Visas to Japan for U.S. Citizens, U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan. Checked 16 October 2026

Read the long answer

Is there a digital nomad visa for Japan?

Yes, of a kind. The Immigration Services Agency's Designated Activities status for remote workers lasts six months with no extension and no residence card. It asks for a yearly income; to be safe, have more than ¥11 million (about US$69,700). Medical insurance is also required.

Status of Residence "Designated Activities" (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad), Immigration Services Agency of Japan; Foreign Exchange Rates, 15 October 2026, Bank of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026

Read the long answer

Can I retire in Japan on a pension or savings?

We found no retirement visa: the Agency's list of 28 statuses has none. The nearest route is a Designated Activities long stay of up to a year with no work. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it asks for a set amount of savings; to be safe, have more than ¥31 million (about US$196,400).

Finding a status of residence by activity (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan; Status of Residence "Designated Activities" (long-term stay for sightseeing, recreation and similar, and accompanying spouse) (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan; Specified visa: Designated activities (Long Stay for sightseeing and recreation) (page dated 17 March 2023), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Internet Archive copy captured 24 August 2026); Foreign Exchange Rates, 15 October 2026, Bank of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026

Read the long answer

How do prices in Japan compare with the United States?

Prices overall in Japan are about 0.65 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025). That is an economy-wide average, not a budget for one household, and it does not show what rent, food or any single item costs.

Price level index (GDP), Japan, World Bank. Checked 16 October 2026

Read the long answer

How hot and rainy is Japan?

It depends on the city. Japan Meteorological Agency 1991-2020 normals: Tokyo's average daily highs run from 9.8 to 31.3 °C, Osaka's from 9.7 to 33.7 °C and Fukuoka's from 10.2 to 32.5 °C. Fukuoka's rain peaks at 299.1 mm in July; Tokyo's wettest month is October at 234.8 mm.

Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Tokyo, Japan Meteorological Agency; Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Osaka, Japan Meteorological Agency; Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Fukuoka, Japan Meteorological Agency. Checked 16 October 2026

Read the long answer

How much English will I find in Japan?

The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 scores Japan 446, 96th of 123 countries and regions, in its 'very low' band. The index comes from people who chose to take EF's online test, so it does not show how much English is used at a given office, clinic or ward office.

EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Japan, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 16 October 2026

Read the long answer

Sources

Where each figure comes from.

Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.

  1. [C1] Price level index (GDP), Japan, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 64.87 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  2. [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Japan, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 446, rank 96 of 123 countries and regions; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
  3. [K1] Status of Residence "Designated Activities" (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. Remote work for a foreign employer, or services or goods sold to people abroad. Period of stay six months, no extension; a person must then wait six months to apply again; no residence card is issued. Annual income of at least 10 million yen at the time of application; private medical travel insurance with at least 10 million yen of treatment cover; no employment with a Japanese organisation. The Agency's nationality chart (PDF 001416932) lists Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
  4. [R1] Status of Residence "Designated Activities" (long-term stay for sightseeing, recreation and similar, and accompanying spouse) (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. Describes the status for foreign nationals staying up to one year in Japan for sightseeing, recreation and similar activities, and a spouse accompanying them; applicants show current savings and six months of account history, and a private medical insurance policy covering the stay. The page does not state the savings amount; it refers to a Ministry of Justice notice that was not opened.
  5. [R2] Designated activities (Long Stay for sightseeing and recreation): documents for applicants, VFS Global, Singapore (private visa application centre for the Japanese embassy; one-pager updated 26 September 2025). Checked 16 October 2026. Says the applicant must be 18 or older with savings of more than 30 million yen, shown by a bankbook and six months of balances and transactions, plus private medical travel insurance for the stay. A private operator's checklist for Singapore applicants, not a government page; the amount is expected to match the Ministry of Justice notice but that was not opened.
  6. [R3] Finding a status of residence by activity (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. The Agency's list of 28 statuses of residence (professor, highly skilled professional, business manager, student, family stay, designated activities, permanent resident and others) has no status for retirees or for people living on a pension.
  7. [G3] 2025 Population Census, basic complete tabulation: outline of results, Statistics Bureau of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. 1 October 2025: 23 special wards of Tokyo (counted as one city) 9,944,109 people; Osaka 2,805,371; Yokohama 3,750,952; 12 Japanese cities have more than a million people (Table I-3-1, Table I-3-3). Supports the "city" setting (500,000 people or more). Published 29 September 2026; read from the PDF on 16 October 2026.
  8. [G4] 2025 Population Census, basic complete tabulation: outline of results (towns and villages), Statistics Bureau of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. Table I-3-1: 926 towns and villages held 9,762,893 people on 1 October 2025, and 319 of them had fewer than 5,000 residents. Supports the "small_town" setting.
  9. [G5] Rural population (% of total population), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 7.7% of the population is rural (national definitions).
  10. [G6] Agricultural land (% of land area), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 12.6% of land area.
  11. [G7] The World Factbook: Japan (Geography; People and Society), Central Intelligence Agency (text read from the factbook.json mirror on GitHub; cia.gov refused automated access). Checked 15 October 2026. Coastline 29,751 km; highest point Mount Fuji 3,776 m; mostly rugged and mountainous. The mirror's text was not checked against cia.gov.
  12. [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Tokyo, Japan Meteorological Agency. Checked 16 October 2026. Average daily high 9.8 to 31.3 °C; monthly rain 56.5 to 234.8 mm; 2 comfortable months (April, May). Normals period 1991–2020 (30 years), read from the agency's page (in Japanese) on 16 October 2026.
  13. [W2] Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Osaka, Japan Meteorological Agency. Checked 16 October 2026. Average daily high 9.7 to 33.7 °C; monthly rain 47.0 to 185.1 mm; 3 comfortable months (April, May, October). Normals period 1991–2020 (30 years), read from the agency's page (in Japanese) on 16 October 2026.
  14. [W3] Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Kyoto, Japan Meteorological Agency. Checked 16 October 2026. Average daily high 9.1 to 33.7 °C; monthly rain 53.3 to 223.6 mm; 2 comfortable months (April, October). Normals period 1991–2020 (30 years), read from the agency's page (in Japanese) on 16 October 2026.
  15. [W4] Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Fukuoka, Japan Meteorological Agency. Checked 16 October 2026. Average daily high 10.2 to 32.5 °C; monthly rain 67.5 to 299.1 mm; 4 comfortable months (April, May, October, November). Normals period 1991–2020 (30 years), read from the agency's page (in Japanese) on 16 October 2026.
  16. [W5] Climate normals 1991–2020 (monthly values), Yokohama, Japan Meteorological Agency. Checked 16 October 2026. Average daily high 10.2 to 31.0 °C; monthly rain 64.7 to 241.5 mm; 1 comfortable months (April). Normals period 1991–2020 (30 years), read from the agency's page (in Japanese) on 16 October 2026.
  17. [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 10th of 163 countries.
  18. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Japan: 86 out of 100 (2023).
  19. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 24th of 31 countries.
  20. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 4th of 31 countries.
  21. [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Japan, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2023: 38.63 per 100 people (no 2024 figure published), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  22. [K3] Federal Reserve H.10 weekly release: foreign exchange rates, 13 October 2026, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Checked 16 October 2026. Japan: 158.34 yen per US dollar on 9 October 2026, the latest daily rate in the release. Used to convert yen amounts: 10 million yen is about US$63,000 and 30 million yen about US$189,000.

Your circumstances

See how this applies to you.

A report applies this research to your citizenship, work, money and priorities, and shows what we could not confirm.

Find your best match

Free, about 6 minutes

Find your best match, Free, about 6 minutes, Free · 6 min. Starts the free interview.

Choose which optional cookies to allow.

EssentialAlways on

Needed for core site functions and saving your choice.

Help us understand how the website is used.