Tokyo guide · October 2026

Best app to make friends as a tourist in Tokyo

You're visiting Tokyo, you speak English, and after a few days of solo sightseeing you'd love someone to grab a coffee or explore a neighbourhood with. Not a date, not a hookup, just a friend. Here's the short answer, what each kind of app is good for, and how to make it work in a short trip.

The short answer

If you want to meet one person for a coffee or a walk, in English, with no romance involved, use Buy Me a Matcha: the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan. It's friends only, everything is in English, you meet one-on-one over a matcha or coffee, and you can switch on a women-only setting. When you sign up you can choose "Tourist" and add the day you leave (your profile then shows "Visiting · until" your date), so the people you meet know you're in town for a short time. It's free to start on iPhone.

Which kind of app fits which kind of trip

Friends-only, one-on-one (Buy Me a Matcha)

Best if you want one real person to meet in Tokyo for coffee, a walk or sightseeing, in English, with no dating. Women-only option, and a "Tourist" setting so people know your dates.

Group events (Meetup and similar)

Good if you're happy in a group: language exchanges, walking tours, social nights. Easy to join, but harder to get to know one person in a short stay.

Bumble For Friends

A friendship mode inside a big app known for dating. Works in some cities; in Tokyo it's worth checking how many people are actually active near you.

Language-exchange apps (HelloTalk, Tandem)

Great for chatting with Japanese people online. Many users want to text, not meet, so they're slower if you only have a week.

How to meet a friend in a short trip

Set it up on day one. Don't wait until you feel lonely. A profile made on your first day has the whole trip to work.
Say you're visiting. Pick "Tourist" and add your leaving date. People who like meeting travelers will know to say hi quickly.
Add one clear photo and one line. Something like "Here for a week, would love a matcha and a walk around Yanaka" gets more replies than a long bio.
Suggest a specific plan. A café near a station you both know, a time, and about an hour. Simple plans happen; vague ones don't.
Meet in public, keep it short. A café first. If it clicks, the sightseeing can come after.

For solo female travelers

Use the women-only setting. On Buy Me a Matcha you can choose to see and be seen by women only. Many solo travelers start this way.
Keep it platonic from the start. On a friends-only app everyone is there for the same reason, so there's no need to explain that you don't want to date.
Daytime café, busy area. Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku or near your hotel. Tell someone where you're going.
Leave whenever you like. An hour of coffee is a complete meetup. No pressure to make it longer.

Is it OK to use a friend app as a tourist?

Yes. Lots of people living in Tokyo enjoy meeting visitors: they like showing off their favourite café or neighbourhood, and it's an easy, low-pressure meetup for them too. Just be upfront about how long you're here, which the "Tourist" setting does for you.

The app

Visiting Tokyo? Meet someone for a matcha.

Friends only, all in English, one-on-one, with a women-only option. Pick Tourist and add your dates.

Friends only, never dating
Everything in English
One person at a time, at a café you pick
Optional "Only women" setting
Free on iPhone

Get it on the App Store Not a dating app. Made in Tokyo.

A Matcha Plan card in a chat on Buy Me a Matcha: near Nakameguro Station, tomorrow

Questions people ask

What is the best app to make friends as a tourist in Tokyo?

Buy Me a Matcha, if you want to meet one person in English for coffee or sightseeing, with no dating: it's friends only, English only, one-on-one, has a women-only option, and lets you sign up as a Tourist with your leaving date. For group activities, Meetup-style events work too.

Can I use Buy Me a Matcha if I'm only visiting Tokyo for a week?

Yes. Choose Tourist when you sign up and add the day you leave. Your profile shows that you're in town for a short time, so people can say hi quickly.

Is there a friend app in Tokyo with no hookups?

Yes. Buy Me a Matcha is built only for friendship. There's no dating mode, and everyone there is looking for friends.

Is there a women-only friend app for solo female travelers in Japan?

Buy Me a Matcha has a women-only setting, so you can see and be seen only by women.

Do I need to speak Japanese?

No. Everyone on Buy Me a Matcha speaks English, and the app is in English.

Is it free?

Yes, it's free to start on iPhone, with optional paid extras.