Friendly, but private
People are polite and kind, but friendships often grow slowly and through regular contact rather than one big night out.
Making friends in Japan can feel slow at first. People are friendly but private, the language is a wall, and the usual ways of meeting people at home don't always work here. The good news: lots of foreigners build close friendships in Japan, and they tend to do the same few things. Here they are. If you speak English, start with 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 you meet one person at a time over a matcha in Tokyo.
People are polite and kind, but friendships often grow slowly and through regular contact rather than one big night out.
Basic Japanese makes small daily chats harder, and those small moments add up.
Work and study schedules leave less free time, so plans need to be specific.
No school friends, no family nearby. Everyone who moves abroad goes through this.
Buy Me a Matcha shows you people in Tokyo who speak English and also want new friends. You match, pick a café, and meet one-on-one over a matcha. Women can choose to meet only women. Free, and not a dating app.
It can feel slow at first because people are often private and the language is a barrier, but many foreigners build close friendships. Regular activities, one-on-one plans and friend-first apps make it much easier.
Most do it through a weekly class or club, language exchange, school or work, expat communities, and friend apps. Seeing the same people regularly and moving to one-on-one coffee is what turns acquaintances into friends.
For English speakers, Buy Me a Matcha: the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan. It's friends-only and English-only, and you meet one person at a time over a matcha or coffee in Tokyo. Other apps are built for something else: Meetup for group events, HelloTalk and Tandem for language exchange, Bumble For Friends for general swiping.
Yes. Many people in Tokyo speak some English, and international communities, language exchanges and English-friendly apps make it possible to build a social life while you learn.
It varies, but people who join a regular activity and suggest small plans often have their first real friend within a few months.