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City in Japan

Fukuoka

Fukuoka is a city of 1.7 million people on Kyushu (2025 census), one of the fastest growing in Japan. It registered 61,656 foreign nationals at the end of July 2026, and has an international school and a regional immigration bureau. [N1] [E1] [Fukuoka S1] [V1]

Country
Japan
Region
Fukuoka Prefecture
Population
1,662,793 in 2025. Fukuoka City, at the 1 October 2025 census (Statistics Bureau). It counts the city, not the wider Fukuoka–Kitakyushu area.. [N1]
Settings
In a city [N1]
Weather
Four seasons [W1]

Why it is here

Why Fukuoka is on the list.

A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.

  • Fukuoka City had 1,662,793 people at the 2025 census and added 50,401 since 2020, the third largest increase of any municipality in Japan. [N1]
  • Fukuoka City counted 61,656 registered foreign nationals at the end of July 2026, up from 55,201 at the end of May 2025; the largest groups were from Nepal (16,440), China (14,493) and Vietnam (8,070), and 1,185 were from the United States. [E1]
  • Fukuoka International School reports more than 410 students from over 40 nationalities and an IB programme. [Fukuoka S1]
  • The Immigration Services Agency lists a Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau with a Naha branch. [V1]

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.

The country

More on Japan.

Cities

Other cities in Japan.

Questions about Fukuoka.

How big is Fukuoka, and how many foreign residents live there?

Fukuoka City had 1,662,793 people at the 2025 census, up 50,401 since 2020. It registered 61,656 foreign nationals at the end of July 2026, mostly from Nepal (16,440), China (14,493) and Vietnam (8,070); 1,185 were from the United States. The city's table lists no separate figure for the other three passports.

2025 Population Census, basic complete tabulation: outline of results, Statistics Bureau of Japan; Foreign nationals in Fukuoka City by nationality and ward (end of July 2026), Fukuoka City Citizens Bureau, General Affairs Department. Checked 16 October 2026

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What does rent cost in Fukuoka?

A private guide (verified 13 August 2026) gives central one-bedroom rents of ¥70,000 to ¥90,000 a month, though another section says ¥60,000 to ¥80,000 on average. Its all-in budget is ¥180,000 to ¥280,000 for a comfortable single expat. It cites no sources; couples and families are unknown here.

Living in Fukuoka, Japan 2026: cost of living, neighborhoods and expat tips (verified 13 August 2026), expatlife.ai (private expat guide, not official). Checked 16 October 2026

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What is the weather like in Fukuoka?

Fukuoka's average daily highs run from 10.2 °C in January to 32.5 °C in August, and monthly rain from 67.5 to 299.1 mm, peaking in July (Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991-2020). April, May, October and November combine highs of 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain.

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

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Where is the immigration office for Fukuoka?

The Immigration Services Agency lists a Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau with a Naha branch, and a Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) in Tokyo. Which office handles you depends on your address and status. The guidebook says to file a moving-in notification at the municipal office within 14 days.

Regional immigration services bureaus and branches (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan; Guidebook on Living and Working, 7th edition (March 2025), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026

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Are there international schools in Fukuoka?

Fukuoka International School says it has 410+ students from 40+ nationalities and lists the IB (the school's own claim; fees unknown here). The guidebook says foreign children can attend public elementary and junior high schools with free tuition and textbooks.

Fukuoka International School, Fukuoka International School (the school's own site); Guidebook on Living and Working, 7th edition (March 2025), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026

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Sources

Where each figure comes from.

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

  1. [N1] 2025 Population Census, basic complete tabulation: outline of results, Statistics Bureau of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. 1 October 2025: Fukuoka City 1,662,793 people, up 50,401 since 2020, the third largest increase of any municipality (Table I-3-3). Fukuoka Prefecture had 120,304 foreign nationals (Table IV-2-1). Final basic results, published 29 September 2026. Read from the PDF on 16 October 2026.
  2. [E1] Foreign nationals in Fukuoka City by nationality and ward (end of July 2026), Fukuoka City Citizens Bureau, General Affairs Department. Checked 16 October 2026. 61,656 foreign nationals at the end of July 2026. Nepal 16,440, China 14,493, Vietnam 8,070, Korea 6,877, Myanmar 2,658, Indonesia 2,450, Philippines 1,788, United States 1,185. Higashi ward 17,181, Hakata 15,318. The city's June 2025 monthly report (end of May 2025) gives 55,201. In Japanese.
  3. [Fukuoka S1] Fukuoka International School, Fukuoka International School (the school's own site). Checked 16 October 2026. Home page: 410+ students, 40+ nationalities represented, 80+ international faculty and staff, 7:1 student to teacher ratio; the site lists the IB. The school's own claim.
  4. [V1] Regional immigration services bureaus and branches (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026. Lists the Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Takamatsu and Fukuoka regional bureaus, with branches including Yokohama (Tokyo bureau), Kobe (Osaka bureau) and Naha (Fukuoka bureau). Names translated here. The page footer gives the Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) in Yotsuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo.
  5. [W1] 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.
  6. [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.
  7. [Japan S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 10th of 163 countries.
  8. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Japan: 86 out of 100 (2023).
  9. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 24th of 31 countries.
  10. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 4th of 31 countries.
  11. [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.
  12. [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.
  13. [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.
  14. [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.
  15. [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.
  16. [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.
  17. [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.

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