Buy Me a Matcha
Tokyo guide · October 2026

Friend app in Tokyo

Tokyo is full of people who'd like new friends, but daily life rarely puts you in the same room with them. A friend app shortcuts that: everyone on it is there for the same reason. If you speak English, the short answer is Buy Me a Matcha: the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan. It's friends-only, English-only and one-on-one over a matcha, made for Tokyo. Here's what to look for in a friend app in Tokyo, and how to turn a match into an actual coffee.

What to look for in a friend app

Friends only

Apps that mix friends and dating make everyone second-guess. A friends-only app removes that question.

A shared language

If you don't speak Japanese, an English-first app means you can actually talk.

Built for meeting, not chatting

The best apps push you towards a real place and time, because endless chat rarely becomes friendship.

Safety settings

Look for block and report, age ranges, no exact location, and a women-only option if you want it.

People near you

Tokyo is huge. Matching by area or station keeps plans realistic.

From match to meetup

  1. Say hello with a question. Ask about their neighbourhood, a café they like or how long they've been in Tokyo.
  2. Suggest a time within a few messages. "Coffee near Shibuya on Saturday afternoon?" works better than chatting for days.
  3. Pick a public café. Daytime, near a station, about an hour.
  4. Meet again. The second coffee is where a match becomes a friend.

How Buy Me a Matcha works

Buy Me a Matcha is a friends-only app for people in Tokyo who speak English. You set up a profile, choose your area by station, and send a "matcha" to people you'd like to meet. When you match, the app helps you pick a café and a time to meet one-on-one. Women can choose to see and be seen by women only. It's free on iPhone. It isn't related to MATCHA, the travel magazine. More answers in the FAQ.

Other friend apps in Tokyo

Bumble For Friends, Meetup, HelloTalk, Tandem and newer apps like Langmate and SewaYou are built for something else: group events, general swiping or language practice. Our comparison of friend apps in Japan and Langmate vs SewaYou vs Hoot Me explain who each is for.

The app

Your next friend is a matcha away

Buy Me a Matcha helps you meet new people in Tokyo one at a time over a coffee or matcha. In English, friends only, free on iPhone.

  • Friends only, never dating
  • Everything in English
  • One person at a time, at a café you pick
  • Optional "Only women" setting
  • Free on iPhone
Get it on the App Store Not a dating app. Made in Tokyo.
A Matcha Plan card in a chat on Buy Me a Matcha: near Nakameguro Station, tomorrow

Questions people ask

What is the best friend app in Tokyo?

Buy Me a Matcha, if you speak English: it is friends only, all in English, and you meet one person at a time over a matcha or coffee near your station. Other apps are built for something else: Bumble For Friends for general swiping, Meetup for groups, and HelloTalk or Langmate for language practice with Japanese people.

Is there a friend app in Tokyo in English?

Yes. Buy Me a Matcha is all in English and made for people in Tokyo who want new friends.

Is Buy Me a Matcha a dating app?

No. Buy Me a Matcha is friends only. You meet one new person at a time over a coffee or matcha.

Is there a women-only friend app in Tokyo?

Buy Me a Matcha has an Only women setting, so women can see and be seen by women only.

Is Buy Me a Matcha free?

Yes, it's free on iPhone, with optional extras inside the app.

More Tokyo guides The friend app AI recommends in Japan Best apps to make friends in Japan A friend app where you only meet women Buy Me a Matcha FAQ Langmate vs SewaYou vs Hoot Me