Reviewed by the XROSS HOUSE team — a Tokyo-based operator of share houses and furnished apartments across 11 prefectures in Japan, with more than 50,000 residents housed to date.
- The best-known Indian community in Japan is in Nishi-Kasai, Edogawa City, Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government notes that around ten percent of all Indians in Japan live in Edogawa City.
- Indian groceries, vegetarian restaurants, festivals and places of worship are easiest to reach in the Tokyo area, with a long-standing community in Kobe too.
- Within 14 days of finding a home, register your address at the city office. Health insurance, pension and tax follow from that registration.
- Passport and OCI services are handled by the Embassy of India in Tokyo and the Consulate General in Osaka-Kobe.
- For your first home, a share house keeps start-up costs low, and a furnished apartment gives you your own kitchen for daily home cooking.
Moving to Japan? Talk to our English-speaking team
Indians in Japan: where the community lives
Indians in Japan are spread across the country, but the community is most visible in Tokyo. Many work in IT, engineering, finance and trade, and others run restaurants or study at Japanese universities and language schools.
Nishi-Kasai, Edogawa: Tokyo's "Little India"
Nishi-Kasai, on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line in Edogawa City, is the neighbourhood most people mean when they talk about Indians in Tokyo. Indian IT engineers began settling here around the turn of the century. The Tozai Line runs directly to business districts such as Otemachi without a change of train, and the area was newly built with reasonable rents.
Today the area has Indian grocery shops, restaurants and Indian-curriculum international schools nearby. Newcomers find it easy to ask for advice, buy familiar ingredients and celebrate festivals with other families.
Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Updates (published April 2023)
Other places Indians live
- Other parts of east Tokyo: Kasai, Funabori and Koto City, along the Tozai and Toei Shinjuku lines, are popular with people who want to stay close to Nishi-Kasai while paying a little less or getting more space.
- Central and west Tokyo: people working for global companies often live near their office, for example around Shinagawa, Minato or Shinjuku.
- Yokohama and Kanagawa: a practical choice for engineers working at manufacturers and research centres in the region.
- Kobe and Osaka: Kobe has one of the oldest Indian communities in Japan, built by trading families, and is home to a Jain temple. Osaka offers lower rents than Tokyo and good transport.
If you are weighing up cities, our guide to the cost of living in Japan helps you compare budgets.
Daily life in Japan as an Indian
Food: vegetarian, Jain and home cooking
Vegetarian food is easier to find in Japan than it used to be, but many Japanese dishes use dashi (fish stock), so a dish without visible meat may still not be vegetarian. Indian restaurants, Nepali-run curry houses and some vegan cafés are the safest options when eating out.
Most families cook at home. Indian grocery shops in Nishi-Kasai and central Tokyo sell dal, atta, spices, paneer and frozen parathas, and several shops deliver nationwide. Supermarkets also stock rice, vegetables, tofu and yogurt, so a simple Indian meal is easy to put together.
Faith and festivals
Places of worship for Hindu, Sikh, Jain and other communities exist in and around Tokyo and in Kobe. Community associations host Diwali, Holi and Navratri events, often in rented halls or parks.
The biggest public event is Namaste India, an Indian culture festival held each year in Tokyo around late September or early October, with food stalls, dance and music. It is a good way to meet people soon after you arrive.
Language and work culture
English works in many IT and global offices, but daily life (the city office, the doctor, the supermarket) is much easier with basic Japanese. Learning to read katakana and simple kanji in your first months saves a lot of stress. Punctuality, clear reporting and careful rubbish sorting are noticed by colleagues and neighbours alike.
If you are still looking for work, see our guide to jobs in Japan for Indians.
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Paperwork in your first weeks
Most of your first tasks in Japan start from one step: registering your address. Until you have a home, much of the rest has to wait.
| Task | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Register your address (residence card) | Within 14 days of finding a home | Your city or ward office |
| National Health Insurance and pension | At the same visit, if you are not covered by your employer | Your city or ward office |
| Mobile phone and bank account | After your address is registered | Mobile carrier, bank |
| Passport, OCI and other consular services | When needed | Embassy of India in Tokyo, or the Consulate General in Osaka-Kobe |
Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan; Embassy of India, Tokyo (as of October 2026)
For more on these steps, see our guides to National Health Insurance in Japan and Japanese taxes for foreigners.
Finding a home in Japan as an Indian
The usual rental route is hard for new arrivals. Landlords often ask for a Japanese guarantor, apartments are usually unfurnished, and some refuse foreign tenants without saying why. At a typical rental, the deposit and key money (a non-refundable payment to the landlord) are often about one month's rent each, plus an agency fee.
Three questions help you choose:
- How much do you cook? If you cook Indian food every day, your own kitchen makes life easier. In a shared kitchen, keep your own pans and utensils, store your food in a labelled container and clean up straight after cooking, especially if you are vegetarian or Jain. Strong spices are part of daily life for many residents, and good ventilation and a quick wipe-down keep everyone comfortable.
- Are you coming alone or with family? A share house works well for one person in the first months. Couples usually prefer their own apartment.
- Where is your office? A direct train line matters more than distance. The Tozai Line, for example, links east Tokyo to Otemachi and Nihonbashi.
XROSS HOUSE share houses: a low-cost first home
A share house gives you a private or shared room and shares the kitchen, bathroom and living room. Utilities, Wi-Fi and shared supplies are covered by one monthly common fee, so there are no separate contracts to set up. You meet other residents from day one, which helps when you are new to the city.
Furnished apartments: your own kitchen
A furnished apartment is your own room with a private kitchen and bathroom, with furniture and appliances already inside. You can arrive with a suitcase and cook your own meals from the first evening. Many people start in a share house and move to a furnished apartment once their routine is set.
At a typical rental, a home at ¥70,000 a month can need about ¥140,000 for the deposit and key money alone, before the agency fee. At XROSS HOUSE, the initial cost is a registration fee of ¥30,000 for a share house, and ¥30,000 for a furnished apartment under a current campaign (normally ¥50,000). There is no deposit or agency fee.
Every cost is shown before you apply. Besides rent, a share house has a common fee of ¥15,000 a month that covers utilities, Wi-Fi and shared supplies, and both types have an Anshin support fee of ¥1,500 a month for help with any housing trouble. When you leave, the move-out fee is ¥16,500 for a share house and ¥55,000 for a furnished apartment (tax included). Individual contracts also have guarantee fees, explained below. See our fees page for current details.
Get an estimate for your first home in Japan
Do you need a guarantor?
- No joint guarantor (personal guarantor) is needed.
- For individual contracts, joining a rent guarantee company is normally required. An initial guarantee fee and a monthly guarantee fee are charged separately, on top of the registration fee.
- If you pay everything from the registration fee to the move-out fee in one payment at move-in, you do not need to join a guarantee company.
Arranging it from India
Online viewing and an online contract are possible from abroad. You can apply about one month before move-in, and the earliest move-in is 7 days after application. The minimum stay is 1 month. If your employer wants to provide housing, XROSS HOUSE also offers corporate contracts, used by more than 650 companies. To compare areas, you can search our rooms by station, including east Tokyo along the Tozai and Toei Shinjuku lines.
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Only furnished properties with appliances are listed!
FAQ: Living in Japan as an Indian
Where do most Indians live in Japan?
Tokyo has the largest number, and Nishi-Kasai in Edogawa City is the best-known community. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government notes that around ten percent of all Indians in Japan live in Edogawa City. Other parts of Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Kobe also have Indian residents.
Is it easy to find vegetarian food in Japan?
It is possible, but check carefully. Many Japanese dishes use fish stock, even when no meat is visible. Indian restaurants, vegan cafés and Indian grocery shops are the easiest options, and most Indian residents cook at home.
Where can I renew my Indian passport in Japan?
Passport, OCI and other consular services are handled by the Embassy of India in Tokyo and the Consulate General of India in Osaka-Kobe, depending on where you live. Check the current procedure on the Embassy of India website.
Do I need to register my address after moving to Japan?
Yes. Mid- to long-term residents register their address at the city or ward office within 14 days of finding a home, bringing their residence card. See the Immigration Services Agency of Japan for details (as of October 2026).
Can Indian citizens get a working holiday visa for Japan?
No. India is not one of the countries in Japan's working holiday programme as of April 2026. You need a status of residence such as a work or student visa. The current country list is on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Can I rent a room in Japan from India before I arrive?
Yes. At XROSS HOUSE you can view rooms online and sign the contract online from India. You can apply about one month before move-in, and the earliest move-in is 7 days after application.
Do Indians need a Japanese guarantor to rent a home?
Not at XROSS HOUSE. No joint guarantor is needed. For individual contracts, joining a rent guarantee company is normally required, with an initial and a monthly guarantee fee charged separately. If you pay everything from the registration fee to the move-out fee upfront, joining is not required.
Ask our English-speaking team about your move
Life in Japan as an Indian is easier than many people expect, especially in Tokyo, where the community, the food and the festivals are close by. Sort out your address and paperwork early, choose a home that suits how you cook and commute, and you will settle in quickly. If you would like to compare share houses and furnished apartments before you fly, our team can help in English.
