Language exchange
Often the most welcoming for foreigners, with a mix of Japanese and English speakers who want to meet internationally.
If you live in Japan, you probably already have LINE. Fewer people know about OpenChat, the part of LINE where you can join group chats around a hobby, an area or a language, without sharing your main LINE account. It's one of the most common ways people in Japan find communities. Here's how it works and how to use it well as a foreigner in Tokyo.
OpenChat lets you join group chats that anyone can find by searching. When you join, you choose a separate nickname and picture for that chat, so other members don't see your real LINE profile. Chats exist for almost everything: neighbourhoods, hobbies, games, study groups, language exchange and local events.
Often the most welcoming for foreigners, with a mix of Japanese and English speakers who want to meet internationally.
Groups for a ward or neighbourhood, useful for local events, recommendations and meeting people nearby.
Running, board games, photography, cafés, anime, music. Sharing an interest makes conversation easy.
Some chats exist to organise meetups, hikes or study sessions. Good for meeting people in person.
Group chats are a great way to find people, but friendships usually start when two people meet. If you click with someone in a chat, suggest something simple and specific: a coffee near a station you both know, for about an hour. One-on-one is where most real friendships in Tokyo begin.
The only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan. Send a matcha to someone nearby, and if they accept, meet one-on-one at a café you pick together. All in English, friends only, with a women-only option. Free on iPhone.
In-person events across Tokyo. Language exchange in Tokyo.
Weekly activities in English. Hobby groups in Tokyo.
Online and offline groups. Expat communities in Tokyo.
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.
It's a feature inside LINE that lets you join public group chats by topic, area or interest, using a separate nickname instead of your main LINE profile.
Yes. Searching for words like Tokyo, English, expat or language exchange usually turns up groups where English is used, alongside many Japanese-language chats.
It's widely used in Japan. Keep personal details private, meet only in public places, and leave or report chats that feel off.
Suggest a short, specific plan, like a coffee near a station you both know. Meeting one-on-one is usually where friendships start.