My Experience with the Japanese Digital Nomad Visa

I never had a real desire to visit Japan. Before 2024, I hadn’t even set foot in Asia. Fast forward to 2025, and I have now made 3 trips to Japan so far. The latest one lasted six months, thanks to the introduction of the new Digital Nomad Visa.

It all started when my last employer went bankrupt in late December 2023. I had worked at this company for the last 5 years. My life had become dull, with few hobbies and activities outside of work. I felt like my life was running on autopilot mode. 

Having been laid off, just right before Christmas, put me on edge. For the next few weeks, I applied to every role in Berlin that fit my role as a Frontend Developer.

I had a series of interview rounds with companies all over Germany. After a hectic start to 2024, I managed to land a role in late January. With the start date being in mid-February, I had a few weeks before my new job started. But I felt like this sense of monotony would settle in again soon so somehow, I had to take advantage of this breather.

The plan that made the most sense was to travel somewhere. But where? I didn’t feel like going anywhere in Europe. At the time, I was playing Persona 5, a video game set in modern-day Tokyo. Beyond watching some anime as a kid and liking its history, Japan had always been a far-away country that I had found interesting, but nothing beyond that. Somehow, the real-life locations in the game sparked curiosity in me.

This is when a wild thought crossed my mind: why not take a spontaneous trip to Japan? I booked a flight to Tokyo, leaving in two days, before I could talk myself out of the idea. 

I was amazed by Japan as soon as I set foot outside the airplane. During that week, I explored Tokyo’s main attractions, popular neighborhoods, and many restaurants. The many sights, strong cultural differences, and kindness from the people made me feel more alive than I had been in years. One week was not enough, especially since I had only stayed in Tokyo. I needed more time to explore the country not just as a tourist, but also as a resident, if possible.

Enter the Japanese Digital Nomad Visa

Lucky for me, the Japanese government decided to launch the Digital Nomad Visa in April of that year. While the visa, with a maximum stay of six months, lacks the duration that identical visas from other countries have, it would still allow me to live in Japan for some time while working remotely for my German company. I was also lucky to fulfill all the requirements for it. All I needed was my job to agree to this wild idea.

From the get-go, I was lucky that my new job was fully remote within Germany. The company was founded with this philosophy, and I’m eternally grateful for that. So, as soon as my probation period was over, I took my chances and asked my company for permission to work for 6 months in Japan. And they immediately agreed.

After some weeks of struggling with the digital nomad visa application forms, calling Japanese immigration in the middle of the night, and gathering documentation, I submitted my papers to the Japanese embassy at the end of August. Giving plenty of time for the authorities to get back to me, I aimed to start my journey in December. 6 weeks after the application, I was back in the embassy, getting my visa pasted on my passport. All I needed to do now was to wait until December.

Arriving in Japan

I was extremely anxious days before my flight. I had never lived in a country so foreign to me, where I did not speak the language or know most of the social etiquette. Adding to that, I was nervous about the positive image that I had of Japan as a tourist being shattered by staying for a longer time as a semi-resident. 

The plane landed in Tokyo, and almost like magic, my anxiety was instantly gone. I was very excited and couldn’t believe that I would call this place my home for the next 6 months. Going through immigration at the airport turned out to be an interesting experience. The officer, upon checking my passport, seemed to be surprised by my visa, probably due to how few of these documents had been issued. After consulting with many other members of the staff, I was finally let into the country. My adventure could finally start.

Living in Tokyo with the Japanese Digital Nomad Visa

The next 6 months passed by so fast that I still have a hard time believing that this whole experience wasn’t just a dream. I went through highs and lows dealing with all things housing, working from home, coworking spaces, networking, healthcare, and finding things to do. Below you will find a summary of these topics.

Housing for Digital Nomads

The first hurdle that I had to go through, even before arriving in Japan, was finding a place to live. Because I was not a resident, I could not find a regular long-term apartment. But I wasn’t a short-term tourist either, so a hotel wasn’t an option for me either. I stayed away from Airbnbs because the offers I saw were not convincing. So I had to decide between a sharehouse and a monthly furnished apartment. The table below shows a breakdown of each option’s positive and negative aspects tailored to a digital nomad’s situation. You can also see more details in regards to these and other options here.

I weighed both options and decided to rent an apartment from Hmlet in the western side of Tokyo, which turned out to be great. The furniture was alright, the neighborhood was quiet, with good public transport and a fast internet connection. This was vital for being able to work remotely without issues, which can be tough if you decide to go to a coworking space or travel within Japan while working.

Coworking and Finding a Community as a Digital Nomad

Working from my home was suitable for some deep focus and quiet, but I sometimes felt like working with people around me. The most suitable option was, of course, visiting a coworking space. There are plenty of coworking spaces available in Tokyo. Some of them need you to pay a monthly membership fee, while others allow you to pay by the day. This is probably the most convenient option for people on the digital nomad visa, as it gives one the most flexibility. 

I went to CASE Shinjuku the most, which is located in Takadanobaba. The staff there was always incredibly kind, and the place is cozy and quiet. 

Some people also choose to work in cafés. I saw this being especially popular among locals, who I often saw working from independently-owned stores, to chains like Starbucks and McDonald's. I did not attempt this, as I was only comfortable with places where I knew that the internet connection would be reliable.

While I was among people in these places, if I wanted to truly meet people on this trip, I would have to find other avenues. These are the most common ways I found for digital nomads to network and make friends:

• If you work in tech, attend tech events and conferences

• Sign up for a meetup around a hobby or interest

• Use apps to find friends, like Bumble BFF

Getting Medical Care as a Digital Nomad

As a tourist, you don’t worry much about falling ill during your short time in the country. But as someone on the Digital Nomad Visa, staying up to six months in Japan, chances are that you might fall ill and might need to seek a doctor during your stay. This is exactly what happened to me. 

After nearly a week of arriving in Tokyo, I suddenly fell ill with the worst flu of my life. My fever shot up to almost 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), and I was feeling extremely weak and achy. I never had a fever this high, in so long. After 5 days of my temperature not going down, I decided to find a doctor.

Before arriving in Japan, I had done some research around the topic and had found some Tokyo clinics that had English-speaking doctors and support for foreigners.

However, I lived far away from most of these places, and had no appointment. Since I was feeling so weak, I decided to visit a local clinic about 50 meters away from my apartment and take my chances with the language barrier.

To my luck, the small GP clinic had English forms, and the doctor spoke decent English as well. One of the assistants also escorted me to the drugstore next door to talk to a pharmacist and make sure that I got some antivirals and pain medication. This was one of the many instances where I felt truly grateful for the hospitality that the Japanese showed towards me on my trip.

Since this was only a flu, it was easily resolved. But if I had a complication, I would have had to ask for a referral from the doctor to then seek a specialist. Depending on the area, you would have a hard time finding a specialized English-speaking doctor. 

Furthermore, since you are not enrolled in the National Health Insurance scheme, you will have to pay for the treatment yourself, in cash, and then contact your travel insurance for reimbursement, which, depending on your provider, might be quite expensive and cumbersome.

For this reason, I would recommend that you research English-friendly clinics and doctors in your area before you arrive in Japan, especially if you decide not to settle in Tokyo. This is really important if you suffer from a chronic illness or something similar.

Activities in Tokyo and Beyond

The obvious activity outside of work to do as a digital nomad in Japan is, of course, traveling. You will most likely want to visit popular destinations like Kyoto and Osaka. These cities are spectacular, but Japan has so much more to offer. I visited the island of Kyushu, which has places like Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, and Fukuoka, which are worth a visit. Fukuoka, especially, has become a popular destination for startups and digital nomads.

I did spend most of the time in Tokyo, though. Everybody has different interests, so you will probably find more excitement in other things, but this is a short list of what I liked to do whenever I had some time off work.

• Eat at all sorts of restaurants. No matter if it was chain restaurants like Yoshinoya, Matsuya, Ootoya, or mom and pop shops, I ventured into any establishment where the food looked tasty. And in Tokyo, pretty much any restaurant will be incredibly delicious.

• Visit any observation deck or high-rise with a view. I love skyscrapers and marveling at the city, so I went up buildings like the Tokyo Metropolitan Tower, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower, or Tokyo Skytree.

• Day trips to places just outside of Tokyo, like Kamakura, Mt. Takao, Chiba, and Enoshima. A great way to get away from the crowds and be surrounded by a bit more nature.

• And my favorite, just to walk around. Tokyo has so many diverse neighborhoods full of hidden gems to discover. I frequently got off at random stations in Asakusa, Meguro, Sangenjaya, Jimbocho, etc., and just walked back to my apartment. This could take several hours. But I found so many lovely temples, shrines, cafés, and interesting houses that every step was a joy to take.

No matter what interests you have, I’m sure Tokyo has something for everyone.

Pros and Cons of the Digital Nomad Visa

After living for 6 months with the Digital Nomad Visa in Japan, I can finally give a breakdown on what I think is positive about it, and where there is room for improvement.

Pros

• You pay no income taxes in Japan. No need to change your tax residence or deal with Japanese laws around this topic.

• Finally, there’s a way to legally work remotely in Japan. At least for a time. Doing this with a tourist visa is a gray zone at best, and anyone who is caught doing this might get into a lot of trouble.

• You can bring your spouse and children with you.

What can be improved

• Other countries with the same visa offer much longer periods. Spain offers a visa for 1 year, with the possibility of extension, for example. The Japanese one cannot be extended.

• The income requirements are quite high. Even with the current weak yen, requiring around $65,000 of yearly income for applicants makes it impossible for most workers to qualify.

• You must request a re-entry permit if you wish to leave Japan and re-enter while your digital nomad visa is still valid. This means going in person to an immigration office, with a stamped, filled-out form. This is quite the hurdle for digital nomads, who are known to move around a lot.

• You are not issued a residence card, so you must carry your passport in Japan at all times. This is inconvenient and possibly dangerous, as the chances of you losing it somewhere during your 6-month stay are relatively high.

• The official documentation around the application procedures is ambiguous and leaves many questions unanswered. I had to contact Japanese immigration multiple times for a few topics that others will most likely be uncertain about, too.

Conclusion

The Japanese Digital Nomad visa has a few shortcomings, especially when compared to identical visas from other countries. However, since it was just introduced last year, I’m hopeful that the government might improve its conditions with time. 

Japan is also comparatively much more expensive than other popular digital nomad destinations in the region, like Thailand or Indonesia. This is why I was not that surprised to hear that I might have been among the first, if not the first, person in the Japanese Embassy in Berlin to have been issued the Digital Nomad visa, despite it having launched about 3 months before I applied.

Nevertheless, I must admit that I had the best six months of my life during my stay in Japan on the Digital Nomad Visa. Tokyo especially amazed me with its vast size and walkable streets full of life everywhere I went. But what I miss most are the kindness of the people and the friendships I made. Now that I’m back in Germany, I think of Japan every day. I can’t wait to return for another six months in 2026.