Kyoto is a student city and a visitor city at the same time. That makes it easy to meet people once and surprisingly hard to see them again. Locals can feel polite but reserved at first, and many foreigners here are only around for a semester or a trip. Here's how to get from a first chat to a real friend to explore temples, rivers and tea houses with. Buy Me a Matcha, the app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha, in English, has just opened in Kyoto.
Buy Me a Matcha is the only app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha, in English. It's friends only, never dating. You pick your area by station, see people nearby who also want new friends, and send someone a matcha. If they send one back, you choose a café and a time together and meet one-on-one. Women can choose to see only women, and only women see them. Kyoto opened in October 2026, so if you join now you're one of the very first people here. And in the city of matcha, it's hard to think of a better first plan.
Kyoto has a huge student population. Kyoto University, Doshisha, Ritsumeikan and Kyoto University of Foreign Studies all have many international students, and clubs (circles) welcome exchange students. Join early in the semester.
Tea ceremony, pottery, calligraphy, cooking and textile workshops put you at a table with people who share an interest. Look for ones that run as a series, not one-off sessions.
English and Japanese exchange meetups run in cafés and bars around Kawaramachi and Karasuma. Go a few times; the regulars become friends.
Festivals, clean-ups and community events need helpers, and many welcome foreigners. Working side by side is an easy way to get to know locals.
Cycling, hiking in the hills around the city, running along the Kamo River, climbing gyms and board game nights. Kyoto is small enough that you'll keep bumping into the same people.
Kyoto is full of small, independent cafés with regulars. Pick one near you, go often, and say hello. Friendships here tend to grow slowly and last.
The centre of the city, along the Kamo River. Easy to reach, with plenty of cafés. Busy at weekends, so side streets and upstairs cafés are better for talking.
Near Kyoto University and Doshisha, where the two rivers meet at the Kamo River delta. Full of students and relaxed cafés, and the riverbank is a classic place to sit and talk.
A short walk west of Kawaramachi, with quieter cafés in old townhouses (machiya). Good for a calm first chat on a weekday.
The easiest meeting point if one of you is coming from Osaka or further. Lots of cafés inside and around the station.
North-west Kyoto, close to Kinkaku-ji. A student area with a slower pace, good if you study or live on that side of the city.
A short train ride south and the home of Uji matcha. A lovely second plan with a new friend: tea, the river and a walk.
On Buy Me a Matcha you can sign up as a tourist and add the day you leave, so people know you're around for a short time. A matcha with someone who lives here is a much better way to see Kyoto than another queue. New to matcha? Read how to order matcha in Japan first. Going on to Osaka? Buy Me a Matcha has just opened there too: see how to make friends in Osaka.
Buy Me a Matcha is the only app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha, in English. Just opened in Kyoto: join now and be one of the first here.
Yes. Buy Me a Matcha is the app made for meeting one new friend at a time over a matcha or coffee, all in English. It's friends only and works in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo.
No. It's friends only. Women can also choose to see only women, and only women see them.
Join a university club early in the semester, try workshops and language exchanges, and use Buy Me a Matcha to meet someone nearby one-on-one, especially around Demachiyanagi and Kinugasa.
Kyoto can feel reserved at first, and many people are only there for a short time. Meeting the same people regularly, and suggesting a specific plan, makes it much easier.
Kawaramachi and Kyoto Station are the easiest to reach. For a calmer first coffee, try Karasuma or the cafés around Demachiyanagi.
Yes. Choose Tourist when you sign up and add the day you leave.
