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Country profile

German nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
9,417
Total Population of Germany: ~84 million
Growth (past 10 years)
+48.6%
6,336 in 2015 → 9,417 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Permanent resident
2,196
Student
1,738
Engineer / Humanities
1,245
Spouse of Japanese
1,181
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The Average German Migrant

Male profile

The average German male in Japan is a permanent resident in his late twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age25–29
Top visaPermanent resident (25.0%)
2nd visaStudent (16.4%)
Population6,159 (65.4%)
Female profile

The average German female in Japan is a student in her early twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age20–24
Top visaStudent (22.2%)
2nd visaPermanent resident (20.2%)
Population3,254 (34.6%)

Population over time

Total German residents

Annual figures, 2006–2025 — hover the line for details
02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00020062010201520202025
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
Permanent resident Engineer / Humanities Spouse of Japanese Instructor Student Others

Visa Types

What do these visa types mean? →

Status of residence (2025)

Current snapshot
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 2,196 2,196 Student Student: 1,738 1,738 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 1,245 1,245 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 1,181 1,181 Designated activities Designated activities: 1,172 1,172 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 621 621 Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee: 240 240 Professor Professor: 216 216 High-skilled professional High-skilled professional: 195 195 Business manager Business manager: 143 143 Cultural activities Cultural activities: 94 94 Long-term resident Long-term resident: 93 93
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 1,490 Permanent resident 2025: 2,196 1,490 2,196 (2025) Student Student 2015: 1,062 Student 2025: 1,738 1,062 1,738 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 796 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 1,245 796 1,245 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 650 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 1,181 650 1,181 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 487 Designated activities 2025: 1,172 487 1,172 (2025) Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent 2015: 605 Family stay / Dependent 2025: 621 605 621 (2025) Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee 2015: 451 451 240 (2025) Professor Professor 2015: 218 218 216 (2025) High-skilled professional High-skilled professional 2015: 10 High-skilled professional 2025: 195 10 195 (2025) Business manager Business manager 2015: 126 Business manager 2025: 143 126 143 (2025)
Where Germany is heavier than rest of world Where Germany is lighter (or absent) Permanent resident German: 23.3% 23.3% Rest of world: 23.0% 23.0% Student German: 18.5% 18.5% Rest of world: 11.2% 11.2% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services German: 13.2% 13.2% Rest of world: 11.5% 11.5% Spouse of Japanese German: 12.5% 12.5% Rest of world: 3.7% 3.7% Designated activities German: 12.4% 12.4% Rest of world: 3.0% 3.0% Intra-company transferee German: 2.5% 2.5% Rest of world: 0.5% 0.5% Professor German: 2.3% 2.3% Rest of world: 0.2% 0.2% High-skilled professional German: 2.1% 2.1% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Business manager German: 1.5% 1.5% Rest of world: 1.1% 1.1% Cultural activities German: 1.0% 1.0% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Instructor German: 0.7% 0.7% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4% Religion German: 0.4% 0.4% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Researcher German: 0.4% 0.4% Rest of world: 0.0% 0.0% Entertainer German: 0.4% 0.4% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Artist German: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.0% 0.0% Specified Skilled Worker German: 0.1% 0.1% Rest of world: 9.5% 9.5% Special Permanent resident German: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 6.5% 6.5% Long-term resident German: 1.0% 1.0% Rest of world: 5.5% 5.5% Family stay / Dependent German: 6.6% 6.6% Rest of world: 8.6% 8.6% Skilled labour German: 0.1% 0.1% Rest of world: 1.3% 1.3% Spouse of PR German: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 1.4% 1.4% Nursing care German: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4%

Demographics

Age distribution

All German residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 500 1,000 1,500 0–4: 170 170 0–4 5–9: 165 165 5–9 10–14: 123 123 10–14 15–19: 438 438 15–19 20–24: 1,329 1,329 20–24 25–29: 1,420 1,420 25–29 30–34: 1,212 1,212 30–34 35–39: 1,170 1,170 35–39 40–44: 824 824 40–44 45–49: 583 583 45–49 50–54: 431 431 50–54 55–59: 476 476 55–59 60–64: 355 355 60–64 65–69: 247 247 65–69 70–74: 168 168 70–74 75–79: 128 128 75–79 80+: 174 174 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 98 72 5–9 91 74 10–14 56 67 15–19 224 214 20–24 769 560 25–29 872 548 30–34 756 456 35–39 810 360 40–44 585 239 45–49 463 120 50–54 330 101 55–59 376 100 60–64 265 90 65–69 172 75 70–74 111 57 75–79 78 50 80+ 103 71

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 6,159 (65.4%) Female: 3,254 (34.6%) 9,417 total
Male
6,159 (65.4%)
Female
3,254 (34.6%)

The German community leans male (65%) with a classic professional mix: permanent residents (23%), students (18%) and engineers (13%).

Student: 724 (22.2%) Permanent resident: 656 (20.2%) Designated activities: 468 (14.4%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 382 (11.7%) Family stay / Dependent: 369 (11.3%) Spouse of Japanese: 332 (10.2%) Professor: 53 (1.6%) Long-term resident: 44 (1.4%) Cultural activities: 40 (1.2%) Instructor: 38 (1.2%) Intra-company transferee: 31 (1.0%) High-skilled professional: 30 (0.9%) Religion: 21 (0.6%) Other: 66 (2.0%) Total female 3,254
3,254 female German residents — by status of residence
Student724
Permanent resident656
Designated activities468
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services382
Family stay / Dependent369
Spouse of Japanese332
Professor53
Long-term resident44
Cultural activities40
Instructor38
Intra-company transferee31
High-skilled professional30
Religion21
Other66
Permanent resident: 1,540 (25.0%) Student: 1,013 (16.4%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 863 (14.0%) Spouse of Japanese: 849 (13.8%) Designated activities: 702 (11.4%) Family stay / Dependent: 252 (4.1%) Intra-company transferee: 209 (3.4%) High-skilled professional: 165 (2.7%) Professor: 162 (2.6%) Business manager: 135 (2.2%) Cultural activities: 54 (0.9%) Long-term resident: 49 (0.8%) Instructor: 26 (0.4%) Other: 140 (2.3%) Total male 6,159
6,159 male German residents — by status of residence
Permanent resident1,540
Student1,013
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services863
Spouse of Japanese849
Designated activities702
Family stay / Dependent252
Intra-company transferee209
High-skilled professional165
Professor162
Business manager135
Cultural activities54
Long-term resident49
Instructor26
Other140
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 3,254 Male 6,159

Where they live (2025)

By region — heat map

Hover or tap a region to see its breakdown.
Hokkaido Hokkaido 723 723 Tohoku Tohoku 518 518 Kanto Kanto 2,621 2,621 Chubu Chubu 1,926 1,926 Kansai Kansai 3,189 3,189 Chugoku Chugoku 487 487 Shikoku Shikoku 245 245 Kyushu Kyushu 1,158 1,158
Fewer
More
Selected region
Kanto
11,830
57.6% of Japan total
Top Visa Categories
Prefectures
Tokyo
7,596
Kanagawa
1,948
Chiba
1,018
Saitama
763
Ibaraki
231
Tochigi
138
Gunma
136

Highest and Lowest Prefectures

2025 Resident Counts
Top 10
Tokyo
Kanto
3,588
Kanagawa
Kanto
1,386
Osaka
Kansai
538
Kyoto
Kansai
449
Hyogo
Kansai
373
Saitama
Kanto
323
Aichi
Chubu
311
Chiba
Kanto
267
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
248
Fukuoka
Kyushu
247
Bottom 10
Tottori
Chugoku
3
Fukui
Chubu
5
Kochi
Shikoku
8
Aomori
Tohoku
8
Saga
Kyushu
9
Toyama
Chubu
11
Shimane
Chugoku
14
Tokushima
Shikoku
15
Wakayama
Kansai
17
Akita
Tohoku
18

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in German residents over the past decade
Largest increase
Tokyo
Kanto
+991
Kanagawa
Kanto
+473
Osaka
Kansai
+247
Kyoto
Kansai
+151
Saitama
Kanto
+126
Largest decrease
Nagasaki
Kyushu
-89
Fukui
Chubu
-3
Aomori
Tohoku
-2
Iwate
Tohoku
-1
Tottori
Chugoku
+0
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Tokyo Kanagawa Osaka Kyoto Hyogo Saitama Aichi Chiba

Fun Fact

Germany's ties run deepest of any Western nation: Meiji Japan modelled its medicine, law and army on German advisors — which is why a doctor's chart is still called a karute (Karte) today. The community itself has grown 49% in a decade.
Interested to know more about migration numbers in Japan?
Explore Overview →Immigration statistics for the whole of Japan — 4.13 million foreign residentsAll Nationalities/Regions →This page is one of 67 — explore every major community in Japan
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