A picture of the famous bridge in Nikko, 2 hours out of Tokyo
Table Of Contents
- Digital Nomad FAQ’s – An Overview Of The City
- Wifi Speed Tests
- Co-Lives & Where I Stayed
- Co-Works & My Favorite Places To Work From
- Finding Community / Making Friends
- Transportation
- Exercise / Outdoors
A shot of me doing Calligraphy in Wakalture great teacher in Tokyo
Digital Nomad FAQ’s
Is Tokyo a good place for digital nomads?
It wouldn’t be my first choice. There aren’t a whole lot of digital nomads mostly people traveling through for a couple days and it’s a bit harder to make friends with locals. That being said, the wifi, history & infrastructure is incredible. If I did Japan all over again, I would spend more time in the north in nature & Osaka.
How is the internet connectivity and speed in Tokyo?
It’s great. Plenty fast enough for video calls. See a breakdown of all wifi speeds here.
Is it easy to meet people and make friends in Tokyo?
This isn’t the easiest place to meet locals. But if you’re staying in Shibuya or Shinjuku you can easily meet foreigners, as well as Japanese people interested in foreigners Here’s how I made friends while in the city.
How much should I budget for a month in Tokyo?
A minimum of $1,800 a month, accommodation can be a bit expensive but you can get food quite cheap. See a breakdown of prices for common digital nomad stuff here.
Are there lots of places to work from in Tokyo?
Yes. There are plenty of cafes and co-works you can work from. More details on this below.
What are the best digital nomad neighborhoods in Tokyo?
Shinjuku & Shibuya, If you’re looking for a place with a few less tourists Asakusa.
Does Tokyo have a digital nomad visa?
As of right now, no.
A Torii Gate In Tokyo. These beautiful gates represent the entrances from the regular world into the spiritual realm for temples / shrines in Japan
Visitor Visas
- Visa Exemptions: Currently, tourists from certain countries, including the United States, do not need a visa for short-term visits to Japan. These visits can be for up to 90 days within a 6-month period. However, it’s important to note that travel regulations and restrictions may change, so it’s always a good idea to check with the appropriate authorities or embassy for the most up-to-date information.
- Short-Term Visa: If you are not eligible for visa exemption, you will need to apply for a short-term visa before your visit. Short-term visas typically allow stays of up to 90 days. You can apply for these visas through the appropriate embassy or consulate of Japan in your country of residence.
- Valid Passport: All foreign visitors entering Japan must have a valid passport for the duration of their stay. Make sure your passport is valid and meets the requirements set by the Japanese immigration authorities.
- eVisa: For certain countries, there is an option to apply for a short-term tourism visa online known as eVisa. This is available for stays of less than 90 days and for single entry only.
A shot of a buddy of mine watching his girlfriend go into one of the tiny restaurants in Shibuya. You will find streets with these miniature restaurants that have 4 – 8 seats inside, bar style. It was one of the coolest memories I had while in Japan.
Cost Of Living / Traveling Through
- 🧍Avg. Cost Of Living (For Single Adult) – $2,100
- 🏨 Avg. Price Per Night For Hotel Room (near city center) – $60
- 🏩 Avg. Price Per Night For Hostel Dorm Room (near city center) – $40
- 🏡 Avg. Price for apartments (near city center) – $1500
- ☕️ Latte – $3,50
- 🍺 – .5 Liter Beer – $4
- 🏋️♀️ – Monthly Gym Membership – $100
- 🚊 – Local Transport – Avg. One Way Ticket Price – $1.20
- 🍝 Avg. Dinner Price – $8 – $15
- 📱 – Avg. Data Plan Per Month – $30
- 🏢 – Avg. Cowork Per Month (near city center) – $200
Wifi Speed Tests
Read my guide to getting fast wifi anywhere in the world here
Co-Lives & Where I Stayed
A Map Of The Places I Stayed & Recommend
The Millenials Shibuya
- OVERALL – 4/5 – I definitely made most of my friends in Tokyo while staying at this place. I really liked it here. They do have a capsule style setup. You can get your own small nook with your bed. They also have a co work area included in the price.
- Affordability – 3.5/5 – Not the most affordable place – ~$100 a night
- Wifi – 5/5 – Great, super fast super stable wifi here.
- Avg. Download Speed = 301.59 MBPS
- Avg. Upload Speed = 206.49 MBPS
- Avg. Latency = 7 MS
- Sense Of Community – 4/5 – The staff is super cool and there are a lot of other single / nomadic folks here that are easy to connect with.
- Location – 4/5 – Right near the heart of Shibuya. Great spot in the heart of the busiest part of Tokyo.
- Amenities (Kitchen, Pool, etc.) – 4/5 – They do have a shared kitchen, but you can’t use it in the mornings, and it’s shared with everyone at the hotel (it’s a big hotel). No pool, they do have a pretty chill lobby space that usually has people in it. As mentioned they do have a cowork space that has small rooms for calls too which is great.
- Cleanliness – 4/5 – It’s Japan, super clean, super tidy haha.
Time Sharing Stay Asakusa
- OVERALL – 3.75/5 – Overall, pretty cool place. I do have to say it’s a bit tougher to meet people here. I did make some friends, but there isn’t as much of an atmosphere of meeting others, at least while I stayed there.
- Affordability – 4/5 – Pretty affordable pricing for sure. $45 per night in a shared room, and $90 a night for a private room. You also get a pretty good discount if you book a few weeks or more.
- Wifi – 4.5/5 – Great, stable wifi.
- Avg. Download Speed = 224.22 MBPS
- Avg. Upload Speed = 280.52 MBPS
- Avg. Latency = 14 MS
- Sense Of Community – 3/5 – The staff is friendly, but the lobby isn’t as comfortable to hang out in, and you have to reserve a time on their rooftop (about as Tokyo as it gets there 😂). So it’s a bit more difficult to meet people.
- Location – 3.75/5 – Very close to the Senso Ji Shrine (the beautiful temple pictured at the top of this blog). Also, very close to great shopping in Asakusa.
- Cleanliness – 5/5 – Once again, it’s Japan 😂
Places To Stay – Honorable Mentions
This is a section where I’ll add hotels / places to stay at that I either didn’t stay at, or had a flaw that made me unable to recommend them completely.
- Borderless House In Japan – This looks like a great option, with locations in Tokyo, Kobe Kyoto & Osaka. Unfortunately, you do need to book a room for 1 month minimum, and I don’t book 1 month without seeing the place first (usually 😂)
- Grids Hotel – Heard good things about these guys.
Super interesting art piece conveying the juxtaposition of traditional Japanese culture with the incredibly quick technological advances that came about after the Meiji Restoration
Co-Works & My Favorite Places To Work From
A Map of The Cafes & Co-works I Worked From
Cafe Lapin
- OVERALL – 4/5 – Killer spot with probably the best coffee I had in Tokyo.
- Wifi – 4/5 – Pretty damn good wifi
- Download Speed = 39.16 MBPS*
- Upload Speed = 87.15 MBPS
- Avg. Latency = 12 MS
- *Not sure what these metrics mean? Read my guide to getting fast wifi here.
- Service & Friendliness – 4/5 – The staff is super attentive, not crazy friendly, but nothing out of the ordinary for Tokyo.
- Amount Of Outlets – 3.5/5– There are a couple outlets but not a crazy amount
- Amenities / Ergonomics (Places to take calls, standup desks etc.) – 2/5 – Not a place to take calls, not a lot of different types of charis / places to stand, etc. but it’s a kickass cafe!
- Location / Ambiance – 4/5 – Super cozy place located on a side street in a pretty central spot of town.
.andwork Shibuya
- OVERALL – 4/5 – By far my favorite cowork in Tokyo. Many other coworks were very dark with little to no natural lighting and crazy depressing IMO.
- Wifi – 5/5 – Great, super fast super stable wifi here.
- Avg. Download Speed = 301.59 MBPS
- Avg. Upload Speed = 206.49 MBPS
- Avg. Latency = 7 MS
- Service & Friendliness – 5/5 – There’s not too much staff on site, but the people that do work there are nice for sure.
- Amount Of Outlets – 5/5– Plenty of outlets
- Location / Ambiance – 4/5 – For Tokyo coworks, this is the best ambiance you’re going to find IMO.
- Amenities / Ergonomics (Places to take calls, standup desks etc.) – 3.5/5 – They had some different seating options, a place to take calls, and some free tea included. Nothing too crazy though, nothing like my favorite coworks from Paris.
Places To Work From – Honorable Mentions
This is a section where I’ll add co-working places / places to work that I’ve heard a lot of good things about, I either didn’t make it to the place, or I went and personally didn’t like it. In service to you all, if the place seems to have enough buzz, I will still share it.
- Sajiki Coffee Bar – Super friendly staff, not too bad wifi & great location in the heart of Asakusa
- Starbucks At Ueno Park – This is one of the prettiest Starbucks I’ve been to (Playa Del Carmen has a pretty beautiful Starbucks too btw)
Finding Community / Making Friends
Interested In Building Community As A Nomad? I interviewed 9 other digital nomads to come up with a complete digital nomad guide to building community, check it out!
Japan is not the easiest place to make friends. The culture tends to be more introverted & there are a decent number of Japanese people who are (justifiably) getting tired of all the tourists. You can sense that a bit as well while you’re there.
That being said
- Meetup.com – has a good amount of events posted pretty regularly
- Expats In Tokyo – This is the best Facebook group I was able to find for foreigners in Japan
One of the Torii’s from Meiji Jingu, a super beautiful spot
Transportation
- Getting Around
- The metro is a great way to get around, with English options on the kiosks to buy tickets. You can take the train both around Tokyo as well as to pretty much anywhere in Japan. Here’s a guide on the Tokyo metro.
- UBER – Uber does run here, and the prices are reasonable
Looking for the best Digital Nomad Spots around the world?
Check out my guides to digital nomad hotspots around the world
One of my favorite art pieces, Lake Suwa By Hokusai. From his series 36 views of Mt, Fuji.
Exercise / Outdoors
Shot near Mount Jinba just outside of Tokyo. Tokyo is surrounded by mountains in the north and the west.
Nature
Mount Jinba
- Pretty beautiful mountain, super close to Tokyo with quite a few hiking trails
Nikko
- A very beautiful small town about 2 hours from Tokyo by train. The main picture of this article (the one with the bridge) is from Nikko.
Exercise
Anytime Fitness
- Good option for gyms, lots of locations around Tokyo, fairly affordable (I recall it being about $50 US a month) you can also get agreements here for as low as 2 months.
Meetup
- I found a couple great groups for running, and tennis. Here is the running group, and the tennis group. Although if these aren’t running anymore feel free to look on Meetup for more groups, there are quite a few to choose from.
Want to stay fit & eat healthy while traveling? Check out my guide to diet fitness while traveling here!
Bali Digital Nomad Guide Coming Next!