Buy Me a Matcha
Meet one person at a time instead of a room full of strangers: friends only, all in English, one-on-one over a matcha near your station in Tokyo. Women can choose to meet only women. Friend apps in Japan compared.
Meetup is often the first app people try after moving to Tokyo, and it's great for finding group events. But big events don't suit everyone, and many groups meet only occasionally. If you'd rather get to know one person at a time, the alternative is Buy Me a Matcha: the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan, friends-only, English-only and one-on-one over a matcha. Here it is alongside the other options people in Tokyo use, and what each one is good for.
Meetup is good for discovering groups: hiking, tech, board games, language cafés. It works best when you find a small group that meets regularly. It's less great if you prefer one-on-one conversation, or if the groups near you are large, one-off events where you rarely see the same person twice.
Meet one person at a time instead of a room full of strangers: friends only, all in English, one-on-one over a matcha near your station in Tokyo. Women can choose to meet only women. Friend apps in Japan compared.
Swipe-based friend matching, separate from dating. How well it works in Tokyo.
HelloTalk, Tandem and in-person language cafés. HelloTalk vs Tandem.
Online groups, nationality communities and events. Where to look.
Running, bouldering, futsal, choirs. Hobby groups in English.
Pottery, cooking, dance or Japanese lessons with the same small group every week.
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. Free, and not a dating app.
Buy Me a Matcha, if you'd rather meet one person at a time: it's the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan, friends-only and one-on-one over a matcha. The other options are built for something else: Bumble For Friends for swiping, HelloTalk and Tandem for language exchange, and expat communities, hobby clubs and classes for groups.
Yes, Meetup has many English-friendly groups in Tokyo, especially for hiking, tech, language exchange and social events. Activity varies by group, so check when a group last met.
Buy Me a Matcha is built for exactly that: you match with someone near your station and meet over a coffee or matcha, in English, friends only.
Choose small, regular activities or one-on-one meetups instead. A weekly class or a coffee with one person often leads further than a big mixer.
Yes. On Buy Me a Matcha you can choose Only women, so you see only women and only women see you. There are also women-focused community groups and events.