Finding International Communities in Japan
Knowing about various international communities in Japan is helpful once you move here.
Making friends and expanding one’s network in a new country is always challenging, but knowing about the relevant communities one can join can ease those pains.
Why the Need to Find Foreign Communities
Between your busy work schedule and making personal time to explore the country or even relax on the weekend, it’s easy to let socializing fall by the wayside. Considering the language barrier, connecting with Japanese locals can also be extremely difficult.
Many people praise the Japanese nightlife, as it’s no secret that many Japanese people enjoy drinking. However, if you’re not privy to drinking an evening, there are ways to find your niche and related community in Japan. This is a chance to meet with people who share your interests and talk in your language.
There are various communities in Japan that aim directly towards building a more inclusive and international community within the country. Some are more generally focused, such as Foreigners Living in Japan, but many cater to specific categories of interests, including career, religion, location, and even hobbies.
Through these groups, people can share their troubles, offer advice, and even meet up in real life for gatherings and collaborations. Finding these groups can be tricky, but once you’ve found your niche, they can serve as vital networking tools while living in Japan and sometimes outside as well.
So, let’s discuss the international communities in Japan for networking. Following are the examples and tips to help you in your quest for the same:
Tokyo International Communication Committee (TICC)
Created by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the TICC aims to promote the internationalization of the local communities in Tokyo and Japan.
TICC introduces social groups together in hopes of cross-cultural collaboration. It creates close relationships with private groups such as local international associations, nonprofits, and non-government organizations. The TICC also publishes information on living conditions, such as comprehensive guides for foreign residents in Japan.
Tokyo American Club
Founded in 1928, the Tokyo American Club is the largest private club in Tokyo. Operating as a traditional American private social club for business people, it had 4,000 members from 50 countries as of 2024.
Despite its name, individuals from all national backgrounds are welcome to join and participate in community events. Club membership includes access to on-site restaurants, exercise facilities, and exclusive seminars.
InterNations in Japan
InterNations is a global expat network for global minds to share interests & hobbies and provide information to others living abroad.
The Tokyo chapter of InterNations is highly active with expats in different sub-forums specific to nationalities, i.e., American, British, Canadian, etc. InterNations has connections in over 420 cities worldwide, so for those who are more adventurous, this might be an excellent start to building local connections.
Tokyo Expat Network (TEN)
Tokyo Expat Network is a Facebook group dedicated to helping expats struggling to adjust to life in Japan.
Members ask questions on anything related to food to dating. If you have something particularly sensitive and don’t want to disclose your personal information, you can always post anonymously.
The group has a long history of business-related posts, so be on the lookout for the “TEN Yellow Pages” — a list compiling foreigner-friendly businesses, restaurants, etc. around Japan.
Legacy Foundation
The Legacy Foundation is an organization that works for the betterment of African Americans and those of the African diaspora in Japan and abroad.
The foundation seeks to connect all-black communities in Japan to a wider audience, as well as report on the Black experience to a global audience. Events are held weekly, featuring lectures on Japanese race relations, wine tasting, and even BBQs.
“For Empowering Women Japan” (FEW)
FEW, Japan is an active network of globally-minded women in Japan who seek to motivate, inspire, and connect with each other through intimate gatherings to exchange fresh ideas.
FEW memberships are open to women of all nationalities and are composed of professionals from large-scale companies and entrepreneurs in various fields. This is an excellent group for women who are looking to meet up with other ambitious women to share similar goals and interests.
International House of Japan
A private, non-profit organization, the International House of Japan has been in existence since 1952 to promote cultural exchange between Japan and people of other countries. Events include seminars from artists and performers, programs to raise cultural awareness and fellowship opportunities.
Meet-Up & Craigslist in Japan
If you’re looking for something more casual, Craigslist and Meet-Up are great alternatives for local creatives to get together.
Many hobbyists use Meet-up to find other like-minded individuals with whom to meet and possibly collaborate. People can find exercise groups, photography lessons, coding workshops, and even language learning opportunities.
Craigslist is known internationally as a forum for buying cheap furniture, but in Japan, it’s also a place to meet individuals for collaborations.
The network in Tokyo is incredibly active, with events scheduled weekly. However, it might be a little harder to garner interest outside of major cities in Japan.
Moving overseas can be incredibly difficult in the first few months, but one way to ease into life in Japan is to connect with new people as soon as possible.
These groups and organizations offer a safe space for like-minded individuals from similar backgrounds to share their experiences and get to know each other.
Unfortunately, many of these groups are solely based in Tokyo, which can be difficult for individuals who don’t like the Tokyo Metropolitan area.
However, there are more opportunities for networking and meet-ups online, making these groups more accessible to everyone. If that doesn’t work, starting your own group within Japan never hurts.
Japanese Expat Forums
Expat forums are websites that allow users to share information through message boards.
Users can pose questions or discuss different topics with other users. A few websites and groups in Japan act as global forums for those living in Japan and those interested in coming here. You can just Google Expat Forums in Japan to find such forums.
Community Organizations in Japan
An alternative to online exchange groups would be to join community organizations.
These organizations have their own meeting space and regularly scheduled events, which you can join without coordinating anything on your own. They require a monthly membership fee ranging from ￥6,000 to ￥150,000 plus. They might be a little pricey for some, but the benefits will likely outweigh the costs.
Japanese Tech Communities
If you have an interest in tech communities, the following list has some useful tech communities in Japan:
- Meetup Tokyo list– Information Technology
- Meetup Tokyo list – Developers
- Meetup Dev Japan
- Meetup – Tokyo Tech
- Doorkeeper
- Hacker’s News on Doorkeeper
- You can find more meetups and tech communities here
Jamila Brown is a 5-year veteran in Japan working in the education and business sector. Jamila is currently transitioning into the digital marketing world in Japan. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and writing about the culture in Japan.