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With its vibrant atmosphere, wide range of cultural activities and entrepreneurial scene, Tokyo is the darling of digital nomads heading to Japan, one of the Asian countries that have been most receptive to them in recent years.
As fascinating as Tokyo may be, it can sometimes be a tad overwhelming: it’s the largest city in the world, with over 9 million inhabitants, and no amount of urban parks and aesthetic coffee shops can save you from concrete jungle misery.
Fortunately for nomads looking for the happy medium between a megalopolis and a sleepy town, this lesser-known city an hour’s drive away is much smaller, but no less exciting:
Why Yokohama could be Japan’s next digital nomad haven
Yokohama, a historic port city just south of Tokyo’s urban sprawl, is a vibrant conurbation 3.7 million people call homebest known for its bold skyscrapers that seem to defy gravity, lush green areas and modern waterfront.
It may not be as international or home to as large an expat community as Tokyo or Osaka, but it has a lot to offer on the nomadic front, especially if you come to Japan wanting both cultural immersion and a higher quality of life in Japan. mind.
For starters, it is one of the largest Chinatowns in Japanwith hundreds of Chinese restaurants where you can eat chicken noodle soup for less than a thousand yen – we all know how important affordable food is for nomads on a budget.
In fact, Yokohama is one of them least expensive Japanese cities to live in: a regular cappuccino in a downtown cafe costs less than $3, a meal in a cheap restaurant costs less than $7, and if you order a three-course meal in a mid-range eatery, you pay about $33.
An abundance of Kawaii Nomad-friendly cafes
Speaking of cafes, laptop-friendly locations are numerouswith Enokitei Honten being a beloved brunch spot serving creamy cheesecakes and matcha in a European-style mansion overlooking a scenic Motomachi Park.
Then there is a cute Pompompurin Café: for those of you who don’t know: Pompompurin is Hello Kitty’s lesser-known companionand a chubby golden retriever with the signature beret: expect Pompompurin-shaped buns, coasters, cushions and even chairs!
For brunch, our top recommendation is JS Pancake Cafe, where they serve high-quality fluffy pancakes with the option of different toppings, from sweet to savory, as well as the best salmon and avocado toast and eggs benedict in town.
A lively marina and lush Japanese gardens
Whether you’re introverted or sociable, Yokohama has a wide choice of activities, from quirky exhibitions like the Cup Noodles Museum, where you can explore the history of instant noodles and learn about its inventor, to peaceful green oases such as Sankeien Garden.
It is the most famous public park in Yokohama. It’s a peaceful walk through beautiful countryside, with avenues flanked by colorful flowers and well-preserved Japanese buildings from different historical periods up to modern times – and there’s even a teahouse!
Meanwhile, the Kisamichi Promenade is where all the action takes place, with its signature ferries and marina bars catering to a diverse crowd, and for our fellow hopheads, you won’t want to miss the Kirin Yokohama Beer Village, where a pint will set you back with $ 2.
The pros and cons of living in Yokohama
As seen on Nomadsthe largest platform for tracking digital nomad trends worldwide, Yokohama is currently the 15th most sought-after city in the country, with remote workers preferring the city for its ‘good’ quality of life‘great’ safety and ‘good’ walkability.
According to visitors, some of the benefits include:
- Very safe
- Fast internet
- Lots of fun things to do
- Good air quality
- Spacious and not crowded
- Safe for women
Some of the disadvantages are:
- It’s not as cheap as other Asian destinations (not to say expensive by local standards)
- It gets cold in winter
- It’s hard to make friends (there aren’t that many nomads, remember?)
- People don’t speak English well
Americans can stay in Yokohama for three months visa-free
Recently, Japan launched its own Digital Nomad Visa, aiming to attract people highly qualified entrepreneurs with a higher income to its shores.
It’s not exactly the easiest visa to get, with a minimum annual income requirement set at a whopping $66,662, and the permitted stay is only six months.
That’s hardly attractive to budget nomads, and we doubt Japan would have become as popular a nomadic hub if American citizens, and a majority of Europeans, can still come to the country visa-free, with no requirements other than nationality. for up to 90 days.
That’s more than enough time to explore everything Yokohama has to offer and get a taste of life as a foreigner in Japan.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
