School and circles
If you're a student, join one club or circle (サークル), even a casual one. The time after class is where friendships happen, not the class itself.
Your 20s in Tokyo can be the best years of your life, or a lot of evenings alone in a small apartment. The difference is usually just a few people. Here's where people your age actually meet, and how to turn a first hangout into a real friendship.
Tokyo is full of people in their 20s who are new to the city: exchange and language students, working holiday makers, people on their first job abroad. Most of them want friends just as much as you do. You don't need to be outgoing; you need to show up to the same things more than once, and suggest one small plan.
If you're a student, join one club or circle (サークル), even a casual one. The time after class is where friendships happen, not the class itself.
Cafés, bars and English schools are full of people your age. Shared shifts turn into shared dinners quickly.
Futsal, running, bouldering, dance, board games. Weekly groups give you a reason to see the same faces.
Language cafés, mixers and parties are great for meeting lots of people at once. Leave with one name you'll actually message.
If you're still looking for a place, a share house comes with built-in housemates and a kitchen to cook together.
A friends-only app lets you meet one person at a time, at your own pace, without the dating-app energy.
It's easier than most people expect, because a lot of people your age are new here too: students, working holiday makers, first-job movers. The trick is to keep seeing the same people instead of only going to one-off events.
University and language school, part-time jobs, clubs and sports groups, international events, and friend apps. Neighbourhoods like Shimokitazawa, Koenji, Shibuya and Kichijoji have lots of cafés and casual spots that are easy for a first hangout.
Join one club or circle (サークル) at your school, even if it's casual, and say yes to the first few invitations. Classes alone rarely turn into friendships; the time after class does.
Yes. Many Japanese people your age speak some English and like meeting people from abroad. Shared interests matter more than perfect language: music, games, cafés, sports.
Konbini picnics in a park, cheap izakaya and set lunches, free museums and shrines, walking around a new neighbourhood, and karaoke on a weekday afternoon are all easy on the wallet.
Buy Me a Matcha shows you people in Tokyo who speak English and also want new friends. You can set an age range, so you meet people at your stage of life. Match, pick a café, and meet one-on-one over a matcha. Free, and not a dating app.
Get it on the App Store