Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals. | JOHAN BROOKS
Jul 20, 2026
Christian Mack’s first, spontaneous trip to Japan in early 2024 left him with a single question: “Should I live here?”
“That thought crossed my mind almost as soon as I landed at Haneda Airport,” said Mack, a 33-year-old web developer from Costa Rica who is now based in Berlin. “As soon as I returned home, I started scheming up ways to make the move.”
For many remote workers, becoming a digital nomad means trading offices for beachside bungalows in Thailand or low-tax flats in Georgia. Japan, historically linked more to strict immigration rules than flexible long-term stays, rarely entered the conversation.
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