Living in Japan as a Digital Nomad

• Monthly apartments (“monthly mansions”) are furnished, include bills and internet, and are the nomad’s best option. Book through specialist agencies or sites that serve foreigners.
• Share houses offer a private room with shared kitchen and lounge, often in social, international houses.
• Serviced apartments and Airbnb are easy but cost more.
• Normal leases usually need a residence card, a guarantor company and several months’ fees up front, so they rarely suit nomads.

• eSIMs and prepaid data SIMs are the easiest options; voice numbers need a residence card.
• Home internet: fibre is standard in apartments.
• Apps worth having: Google Maps or Japan Transit (Navitime), LINE (the messaging app everyone uses), Suica or ICOCA in your phone wallet, and Google Translate with camera translation.

Trains are the backbone of Japanese life: punctual, clean and everywhere. Use an IC card for everything. The Shinkansen links the big cities; domestic flights reach Hokkaido and Okinawa. Taxis are clean but expensive; GO and Uber apps work in cities.

Healthcare is excellent, but visitors pay in full. Big cities have clinics with English-speaking doctors. For emergencies, call 119 for an ambulance and 110 for police. Get health insurance.

Tokyo has the biggest international community, with coworking events, language exchanges and meetups. Fukuoka and Osaka have friendly scenes; Kyoto’s is small. Learning basic Japanese makes a big difference.

• Quiet on trains, and no phone calls.
• No tipping. It can cause confusion.
• Shoes off in homes, some restaurants and temples.
• Rubbish: follow the local separation rules carefully; public bins are rare.
• Queues and order are taken seriously.

Japan is extremely safe, with very low crime. The main natural risks are earthquakes, typhoons and summer heat. Learn your building’s evacuation route, keep a small emergency kit, and turn on emergency alerts on your phone.