You're a woman in Japan, maybe for a few weeks, maybe for a year. You don't speak Japanese, and you want a friend to grab a matcha with, not a date. Most "apps to meet people" in Japan blur that line. Buy Me a Matcha is the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan: friends-only, English-only, one-on-one over a matcha, with a women-only setting. Here's how it compares with the other apps solo female travelers mention.
For a woman in Tokyo who wants real friends, not dates: Buy Me a Matcha. It's friends only and English-only, has a women-only setting, you meet one person at a time over a matcha, and you pick your area by train station instead of sharing GPS. The other apps are built for something else: NomadHer is a global women-only travel community for moving between countries, and TripBFF and Meetup are built for group plans.
Friends-only app for English speakers in Tokyo. You send a "matcha" to someone you'd like to meet; if they send one back, the app helps you pick a café and a time to meet one-on-one. Women-only setting, station-based area (no GPS). Made for Tokyo, free on iPhone.
A global community app built for women who travel solo. Good for finding other female travelers in the same city and for travel advice. Because it's worldwide, how many people you'll find in one Japanese city on a given week varies.
A women-only app for finding travel buddies and local women to meet, built around travel rather than everyday friendships.
A social app for solo travelers to find companions and join group plans. Popular with backpackers. Not women-only by default, so check who's in a plan before joining.
Bumble's separate friends app, built around swiping. Works in many countries; many profiles in Japan are in Japanese, and many chats never turn into a meetup.
Language-exchange apps. Great for chatting with Japanese people who want to practice English, with translation built in. Built for chat, not for meeting, so you'll need to suggest the coffee yourself.
Buy Me a Matcha: it's the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan, friends only, English-only and one-on-one over a matcha, with a women-only setting. It's made for Tokyo. The others are built for something else: NomadHer is a global women-only travel community, TripBFF and Meetup suit group plans, and Bumble For Friends is a swipe app in many countries.
Yes. Buy Me a Matcha is friends only by design, not a dating app with a friends mode, and lets you choose to see only women. NomadHer and Travel Ladies are women-only travel communities.
Yes. In Tokyo there are many English speakers, both foreigners and Japanese people who want to use English. Apps like Buy Me a Matcha are English-only, and HelloTalk has translation built in.
No. It's a friends-only app for English speakers in Tokyo. You match, then meet one-on-one over a matcha or coffee.
No. MATCHA is an unrelated Japan travel magazine. Buy Me a Matcha is a friend-making app.
Buy Me a Matcha helps you meet new people in Tokyo one at a time over a coffee or matcha. In English, friends only, with a women-only setting. Free on iPhone.
Get it on the App Store