Japan is not the first place that springs to mind when Digital Nomads think of a place to travel and live in. From its expensive reputation to the cultural and language barriers, the island nation has a reputation that it’s only for the short term cashed up tourists.
In my opinion however, Japan is probably one of the best countries to be a digital nomad in, from its super fast internet to cheap living and delicious foods, it’s quickly becoming a haven for the weary traveller. Most people associate japan with super high costs, which is accurate when you are living on local wages and living in expensive districts to make travel times more bearable. However if you are earning more than $1500-$2000 USD per month you can living in even the biggest of cities very comfortably, approximately half that if you’re a travelling couple.
Language
Japan’s national language is obviously Japanese, however with its close relations to America and its thriving tourist industry, Japan is very accessible to people from many countries. Nearly all signage around Japan has Romanised Japanese English, also often in conjunction with Chinese and Korean. If you go to any major train station, you will likely find an English speaker, this also goes for Hotels, Tourist information booths and even just the general public. While you might find some Japanese may avoid or even seem scared of you, this is based around their fear of not being able to communicate properly with you. However, if you are lost and ‘look lost’ you will quickly find someone with basic to advance English skills helping you find your way. Thankfully with some major changes to the telecom industry in recent years, you can buy Data SIM cards at airports or any BIC Camera or Yodabashi Camera (they’re a tech product chain). This will give you access to your new best friends Google Maps and Google Translate, which should help you with any beyond the usual needs.
If you’re looking to try and make friends with the locals, my two favourite options are the ‘Meet up’ app/website, and the ‘Hub’ pub chain. On meet up I usually look for language exchange places or a hang out group, my favourite was ‘Tokyo Spontaneous Hangouts’ as they organised both language exchange groups or general meet ups to drink and eat. You can find these groups in various languages all over Japan. As for ‘Hub’ they’re a British pub chain that attracts locals who are interested in foreign people, which is great as they will usually break the ice to come chat to you.
Living
Being a nomad puts you in the unique position of being able to live anywhere that you can get a decent internet connection, which thankfully is practically everywhere in Japan. Even Tokyo becomes a much more reasonable place to live when you can choose one of the outer districts to live in. I myself have found furnished share apartments as cheap as ¥50000 per month (~$450 USD) or from ¥80000 – ¥120000 per month ($750-1100) depending on district for a private furnished abode (easily comfortable for 2). This includes internet and utilities.
Foreign accommodation companies like Sakura House or Oak House, give you month to month options for your rent with it even calculated daily if you plane to stay say, 46 days or other specific time interval. If you plan to stay for many years I’d recommend looking into the actual Japanese renting market, but this can be very difficult without a local company or person helping you. Many Japanese houses will not rent to foreigners for fear we do not respect their housing the same way a Japanese person would. Plus you’d have to fork out for furniture, though I will be writing an article about cheap ways to furnish your house.
Food
Food costs are pretty easy to keep in check. There are many delicious options available. The cheapest obviously being to cook for yourself, if you’re new to Japanese cooking I highly recommend the YouTube Channel ‘Cooking with Dog’. I will also be writing an article about how to shop in Japanese Grocery markets. I found when I was cooking daily for 2 people the average weekly cost for food was around ¥5000. Things like fish, mushrooms and rice become your go to for delicious and cheap meals. I would shop nearly daily at my local grocery market as the specials changed from day to day, I often would enter without any plan of what I was going to make. Often different meats would be on special and they would become the base of the meal I was making.
If you aren’t much into the idea of cooking no fear there are many cheap ways to keep yourself full and healthy without stepping into the kitchen. Japanese Supermarkets and Convenience stores have a large range of freshly prepared meals that can be as cheap as ¥100-500 per meal. I personally love the onigiri (stuffed rice ball covered in dried seaweed) for a quick on the go meal, while the pastas are surprisingly delicious. They also have traditional Japanese style bento with some kind of protein, pickles, veggies and rice for around ¥300-800. If you want more of a sit down style meal, chains like Yoshinoya, Matsuya and Sukiya have fresh delicious meals for around ¥380-1100. Even occasionally you can find cheap Ramen places for ¥500 a bowl. If Sushi is more your thing then Sushiro, Kura Sushi, Kappa Sushi, Hama Zushi and Genki Sushi will be your new best friends, with nearly all of their sushi being from ¥90-150 a plate. Obviously all of these options are for the cost minded traveller, if you have a bit more cash to splash out I highly recommend checking out Japan’s extensive list of Michelin Star restaurants, which are surprisingly affordable.
Travel
Travelling costs around local areas can add up quickly if you love to get out and about. Trains will become your favourite mode of transport (especially in Tokyo/Osaka), but at ¥130-230 per transfer you can easily spend ¥800-2000 a day on trains alone.
There are a few ways you can cut these costs down for the penny pinching traveller. If you’re in Japan on a tourist visa for less than 90 days and plan to do a lot of travel check out my guide to JR train/bus passes here. In places like Kyoto the majority of your travel will be done by bus, with the ability to buy 1-2 day passes that give you unlimited rides around the city and to all of the temples, shrines and other touristy areas.
One option which many may not realise is viable is bicycles. The majority of Japanese cities are very flat with amazing infrastructure for the average cyclist. You can get cheap or even free bicycles online from Craigslist or check out the various ‘bike jails’ that auction off bikes that have been acquired by the local council. Most area’s have bicycle parking varying from free to about ¥200 per day (some paid parking is free for the first 2 hours), though it will take some time to get used to looking for the special bike parking places. Honestly biking is my favourite way to get around my local area, with the ability to just stop and look at what ever has caught your eye. The real beauty of any major city in Japan, lies in its nooks and crannies, finding interesting shops or beautiful architecture.
Work
I know this article is about digital nomads who presumable already work online, but one way to really immerse yourself in the local culture is to find a part time job. While the pay won’t be great, the cultural understanding and forced language practice, can be well worth your time. Japan has a labor shortage, meaning many menial jobs are urgently looking for workers, particularly in Cafes, Restaurants and even retail stores. With relatively basic Japanese skills you can easily find many places willing to hire you on.
I used to work for a chain of Gyoza restaurants called ‘Osaka Ohsho’ 大阪王将, they pay a reasonable local rate of ¥1200 per hour, pay for your transport costs to and from work, and even give you a free meal or heavily discounted meal (¥200 for a meal worth up to ¥1000). Within the first 2 weeks, I felt my Japanese skill had improved more than in the 6 months of language school I had attended. I actually really miss working at this restaurant, as my coworkers were really kind and my boss used to give me free Japanese lessons every time I worked. Having a part time job can also help you get out of the house and explore your area, particularly if you’re a bit of a homebody like I am.
On a side note, I don’t recommend working as an English teacher or at a place with a huge amount of foreigners (like Roppongi) as you will find yourself speaking English and not really getting the cultural experience. Especially as an English teacher, your contract will literally state ‘no speaking Japanese’ while in class.
Overall Japan is a surprisingly affordable and beautiful country to visit or live in. Whether you’re staying for 2 weeks or 2 years, you can easily find a place to settle down, pricing you can afford and schedule that suits you.