Moving to Japan from the USA
Yes, a US citizen can move to Japan, mainly as remote workers and retirees. Both routes are documented and sources are strong, but the US-to-Japan tax corridor is genuinely complex and must be modeled with professional rigor; do not blur visiting as a nomad with relocating and working.
- Who it is for: Retirees (settle route) and remote workers (6-month stay only)
- Headline cost: From about 940 USD per month excluding rent (Tokyo single)
- The tax reality: Genuinely complex: work performed in Japan is Japan-source, with a 5-year worldwide switch and harsh inheritance tax.
Which route applies to you
If you keep working remotely
The Digital Nomad Visa is 6 months only, non-renewable, with no Residence Card, so it is a stay-tool, not a relocation path. A remote worker who actually moves must use a different status and then owes Japanese tax on work performed in Japan.
If you live on a pension or investments
Served by the Designated Activities No. 40 Long Stay route, which does issue a Residence Card.
The visa routes
- Digital Nomad Visa (Designated Activities No. 53/54)
- JPY 10M annual income (about 67,000 to 70,000 USD) plus health insurance; 6 months only, non-renewable, no Residence Card. A stay-tool, not a relocation path.
- Long Stay (Designated Activities No. 40)
- The real retiree relocation route: JPY 30M (about 190,000 to 200,000 USD) in savings only (JPY 60M for a couple); the official criteria have no pension or passive-income income alternative. Renewable, issues a Residence Card.
The tax reality
A US-Japan treaty is in force. Residency tiers drive everything: a non-permanent resident is taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income remitted to Japan, while past 5 of the last 10 years you are taxed on worldwide income. The highest-stakes trap: salary for services physically performed in Japan is Japan-source even if paid by a US employer, and the treaty's 183-day exemption does not save a relocating remote worker. FEIE and FTC mitigate US-side double tax, and Japanese rates generally exceed US above about 120,000 USD. Two long-term frictions to model: the worldwide-income switch at 5 years, and Japan's inheritance and gift tax, which can reach a long-term resident's worldwide assets. Build it with a tax professional in the loop.
What it costs
Target cities: Tokyo, Fukuoka.
Tokyo single about 943 USD per month excluding rent; Fukuoka rent about 52 percent cheaper.
Housing listings
SUUMO dominates but is mostly Japanese-only; foreigner-friendly agency portals are more capturable and useful.
Healthcare
NHI mandatory for residents 3-plus months; the nomad segment carries private insurance instead.
Banking and admin
Residence-Card-gated; the Long Stay retiree route gets a card so standard banking opens, while the nomad route does not.
The single biggest friction
The only true remote-worker visa is a non-renewable 6-month stay-tool, and a remote worker who actually moves owes Japanese tax on work performed in Japan, plus the 5-year worldwide switch and long-term inheritance-tax cliffs.
Plan the move, not just the dream
When you are ready to go from comparing to actually doing it, the Planner turns this into your true all-in budget, your real visa timeline, and steps kept current for Japan.
Sources
Last verified June 2026.
Take Root Abroad is a planning tool, not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax law, and costs change; verify the specifics for your situation with a qualified professional before you act.