Living in Japan
Rent, health cover and ways to get residency for a foreign retiree in Japan, checked 2026-09-26.
Rent for a one-bedroom flat
| City | Centre | Outside centre |
|---|
| Tokyo | ¥198,132 | ¥107,071 |
| Osaka | ¥110,667 | ¥80,222 |
Moving in often costs four to six months of rent in deposits, key money and fees.
Healthcare
Residents join National Health Insurance, which covers 70% of costs. The premium follows last year’s Japanese income, so it starts low for newcomers.
- National Health Insurance, first year: ¥2,000–¥5,000 a month
Residency routes
- No retirement visa (Non-citizens): Japan has no visa for living off savings. Most long stays are through work, study, family or business.
- Long-term tourism (Wealthy visitors from eligible countries): ¥30,000,000 in liquid assets. Six months, extendable once to a year; no work.
- Digital nomad visa (Remote workers from eligible countries): ¥10,000,000 a year in income. Six months, not extendable.
Tax on a portfolio
- Non-permanent residents (under 5 of the last 10 years in Japan) are taxed on foreign income only if it is brought into Japan, except gains on securities bought while resident. Not modeled.
- Health insurance at the Tokyo rate; long-term care insurance (ages 40–64) is not included.
- Higher basic deductions for low incomes in 2025–2026 are not modeled.
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