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City in Japan

Kyoto

Kyoto is a city of 1.4 million people (2025 census) in the Kansai region. The city registered 67,815 foreign residents at the end of 2025, and Kyoto International School has taught there since 1957. [N1] [E1] [Kyoto S1]

Country
Japan
Region
Kyoto Prefecture
Population
1,430,062 in 2025. Kyoto City, at the 1 October 2025 census (Statistics Bureau). It counts the city, not the wider prefecture (2.5 million people).. [N1]
Settings
In a city [N1]
Weather
Four seasons [W1]

Why it is here

Why Kyoto is on the list.

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

  • Kyoto City had 1,430,062 people at the 2025 census, one of 12 Japanese cities with more than a million. [N1]
  • Kyoto City had 67,815 registered foreign residents from 159 countries and regions at the end of December 2025; 1,727 were from the United States, 315 from Canada, 290 from Australia and 85 from New Zealand. [E1]
  • Kyoto International School, an IB World School serving the city since 1957, teaches from kindergarten to Grade 10, with plans to reach Grade 12 by 2026. [Kyoto S1]

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 Kyoto.

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

Kyoto City had 1,430,062 people at the 2025 census, down 33,661 since 2020. It registered 67,815 foreign residents from 159 countries and regions at the end of December 2025, including 1,727 from the United States, 315 from Canada, 290 from Australia and 85 from New Zealand.

2025 Population Census, basic complete tabulation: outline of results, Statistics Bureau of Japan; Foreign residents registered in Kyoto City by nationality (end of December 2025), Kyoto City (Sogo Kikaku Kyoku, international relations data). Checked 16 October 2026

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What does rent cost in Kyoto?

A private guide (verified 13 August 2026) gives central one-bedroom rents of ¥70,000 to ¥120,000 a month and an all-in budget of ¥200,000 to ¥290,000 for a comfortable single expat. It cites no sources; costs for couples or families are unknown here.

Living in Kyoto, 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 Kyoto?

Kyoto's average daily highs run from 9.1 °C in January to 33.7 °C in August, and monthly rain from 53.3 to 223.6 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991-2020). Only April and October combine highs of 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm; May's average rain is 151.4 mm.

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

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Where is the immigration office for Kyoto?

The Agency's list of bureaus and branches that we read names no immigration office in Kyoto; it lists bureaus including Osaka and Tokyo. Which office covers a Kyoto address is unknown here, so ask the Agency. The guidebook says to file a moving-in notification at the municipal office within 14 days.

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

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Are there international schools in Kyoto?

Kyoto International School says it has served the city since 1957 as an IB World School, from kindergarten to Grade 10 with plans to reach Grade 12 by 2026. Its page gives no student numbers or fees. Public elementary and junior high schools take foreign children with free tuition and textbooks.

Kyoto International School, Kyoto 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: Kyoto City 1,430,062 people, down 33,661 since 2020 (Table I-3-3); 12 cities had more than a million people (Table I-3-1). Kyoto Prefecture had 86,047 foreign nationals (Table IV-2-1). Final basic results, published 29 September 2026. Read from the PDF on 16 October 2026.
  2. [E1] Foreign residents registered in Kyoto City by nationality (end of December 2025), Kyoto City (Sogo Kikaku Kyoku, international relations data). Checked 16 October 2026. Total 67,815 registered foreign residents from 159 countries and regions (English version of the table). China 17,982, South Korea 16,284, Nepal 6,147, Vietnam 4,971, United States 1,727, Canada 315, Australia 290, New Zealand 85. Listed on the city's page 0000193275.
  3. [Kyoto S1] Kyoto International School, Kyoto International School (the school's own site). Checked 16 October 2026. Says the school has served Kyoto since 1957 and is a WASC-accredited IB World School, from kindergarten to Grade 10 with plans to expand to Grade 12 by 2026. The page gives no student numbers or nationalities. An older web address, kyotointernationalschool.org, now shows unrelated content and was not used.
  4. [W1] 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.
  5. [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.
  6. [Japan S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 10th of 163 countries.
  7. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Japan: 86 out of 100 (2023).
  8. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 24th of 31 countries.
  9. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Japan ranks 4th of 31 countries.
  10. [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.
  11. [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.
  12. [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.
  13. [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.
  14. [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.
  15. [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.
  16. [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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