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Country profile

Irish nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
1,526
Total Population of Ireland: ~5.3 million
Growth (past 10 years)
+48.7%
1,026 in 2015 → 1,526 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Permanent resident
428
Engineer / Humanities
263
Spouse of Japanese
211
Designated activities
189
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The Average Irish Migrant

Male profile

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

Modal age25–29
Top visaPermanent resident (32.2%)
2nd visaEngineer / Humanities (17.1%)
Population1,165 (76.3%)
Female profile

The average Irish female in Japan is a designated-activities resident in her late twenties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age25–29
Top visaDesignated activities (20.2%)
2nd visaEngineer / Humanities (17.7%)
Population361 (23.7%)

Population over time

Total Irish residents

Annual figures, 2006–2025 — hover the line for details
05001,0001,5002,00020062010201520202025
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
0 200 400 600 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 428 428 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 263 263 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 211 211 Designated activities Designated activities: 189 189 Instructor Instructor: 168 168 Student Student: 71 71 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 62 62 Professor Professor: 33 33 High-skilled professional High-skilled professional: 28 28 Skilled labour Skilled labour: 15 15 Long-term resident Long-term resident: 13 13 Business manager Business manager: 11 11
0 200 400 600 Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 299 Permanent resident 2025: 428 299 428 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 217 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 263 217 263 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 153 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 211 153 211 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 27 Designated activities 2025: 189 27 189 (2025) Instructor Instructor 2015: 157 Instructor 2025: 168 157 168 (2025) Student Student 2015: 38 Student 2025: 71 38 71 (2025) Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent 2015: 36 Family stay / Dependent 2025: 62 36 62 (2025) Professor Professor 2015: 32 Professor 2025: 33 32 33 (2025) High-skilled professional High-skilled professional 2015: 2 High-skilled professional 2025: 28 2 28 (2025) Skilled labour Skilled labour 2015: 10 Skilled labour 2025: 15 10 15 (2025)
Where Ireland is heavier than rest of world Where Ireland is lighter (or absent) Permanent resident Irish: 28.0% 28.0% Rest of world: 23.0% 23.0% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Irish: 17.2% 17.2% Rest of world: 11.5% 11.5% Spouse of Japanese Irish: 13.8% 13.8% Rest of world: 3.7% 3.7% Designated activities Irish: 12.4% 12.4% Rest of world: 3.0% 3.0% Instructor Irish: 11.0% 11.0% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4% Professor Irish: 2.2% 2.2% Rest of world: 0.2% 0.2% High-skilled professional Irish: 1.8% 1.8% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Entertainer Irish: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Student Irish: 4.7% 4.7% Rest of world: 11.3% 11.3% Special Permanent resident Irish: 0.4% 0.4% Rest of world: 6.5% 6.5% Long-term resident Irish: 0.9% 0.9% Rest of world: 5.5% 5.5% Family stay / Dependent Irish: 4.1% 4.1% Rest of world: 8.6% 8.6% Spouse of PR Irish: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 1.4% 1.4% Business manager Irish: 0.7% 0.7% Rest of world: 1.1% 1.1% Skilled labour Irish: 1.0% 1.0% Rest of world: 1.3% 1.3% Intra-company transferee Irish: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 0.5% 0.5%

Demographics

Age distribution

All Irish residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 100 200 300 0–4: 17 17 0–4 5–9: 12 12 5–9 10–14: 16 16 10–14 15–19: 16 16 15–19 20–24: 167 167 20–24 25–29: 259 259 25–29 30–34: 184 184 30–34 35–39: 155 155 35–39 40–44: 123 123 40–44 45–49: 167 167 45–49 50–54: 124 124 50–54 55–59: 118 118 55–59 60–64: 74 74 60–64 65–69: 36 36 65–69 70–74: 26 26 70–74 75–79: 14 14 75–79 80+: 18 18 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 6 11 5–9 9 3 10–14 7 9 15–19 11 5 20–24 95 72 25–29 157 102 30–34 136 48 35–39 131 24 40–44 107 16 45–49 147 20 50–54 113 11 55–59 106 12 60–64 61 13 65–69 29 7 70–74 24 2 75–79 11 3 80+ 15 3

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 1,165 (76.3%) Female: 361 (23.7%) 1,526 total
Male
1,165 (76.3%)
Female
361 (23.7%)

The Irish community leans male (76%) and rooted: permanent residents (28%), professionals (17%) and spouses of Japanese nationals (14%) — with Hokkaido, unusually, its #2 prefecture.

Designated activities: 73 (20.2%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 64 (17.7%) Instructor: 57 (15.8%) Permanent resident: 53 (14.7%) Family stay / Dependent: 37 (10.2%) Student: 30 (8.3%) Spouse of Japanese: 23 (6.4%) Professor: 7 (1.9%) Long-term resident: 4 (1.1%) Entertainer: 4 (1.1%) Spouse of PR: 3 (0.8%) Business manager: 3 (0.8%) Special Permanent resident: 2 (0.6%) Other: 1 (0.3%) Total female 361
361 female Irish residents — by status of residence
Designated activities73
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services64
Instructor57
Permanent resident53
Family stay / Dependent37
Student30
Spouse of Japanese23
Professor7
Long-term resident4
Entertainer4
Spouse of PR3
Business manager3
Special Permanent resident2
Other1
Permanent resident: 375 (32.2%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 199 (17.1%) Spouse of Japanese: 188 (16.1%) Designated activities: 116 (10.0%) Instructor: 111 (9.5%) Student: 41 (3.5%) High-skilled professional: 27 (2.3%) Professor: 26 (2.2%) Family stay / Dependent: 25 (2.1%) Skilled labour: 15 (1.3%) Long-term resident: 9 (0.8%) Business manager: 8 (0.7%) Intra-company transferee: 7 (0.6%) Other: 18 (1.5%) Total male 1,165
1,165 male Irish residents — by status of residence
Permanent resident375
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services199
Spouse of Japanese188
Designated activities116
Instructor111
Student41
High-skilled professional27
Professor26
Family stay / Dependent25
Skilled labour15
Long-term resident9
Business manager8
Intra-company transferee7
Other18
0 500 1,000 1,500 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 361 Male 1,165

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
504
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
154
Kanagawa
Kanto
119
Osaka
Kansai
83
Hyogo
Kansai
72
Chiba
Kanto
63
Saitama
Kanto
55
Aichi
Chubu
50
Kyoto
Kansai
38
Nagano
Chubu
34
Bottom 10
Saga
Kyushu
1
Kochi
Shikoku
2
Toyama
Chubu
3
Aomori
Tohoku
3
Yamaguchi
Chugoku
4
Miyazaki
Kyushu
4
Shiga
Kansai
4
Nagasaki
Kyushu
4
Ehime
Shikoku
5
Fukui
Chubu
5

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in Irish residents over the past decade
Largest increase
Tokyo
Kanto
+142
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
+104
Kanagawa
Kanto
+34
Hyogo
Kansai
+30
Nagano
Chubu
+29
Largest decrease
Nagasaki
Kyushu
-5
Tochigi
Kanto
-4
Ishikawa
Chubu
-4
Okinawa
Okinawa
-2
Gunma
Kanto
-2
0 200 400 600 2010 2015 2020 2025 Tokyo Hokkaido Kanagawa Osaka Hyogo Chiba Saitama Aichi

Fun Fact

Ireland is a member of Japan's little 'Hokkaido club': after Tokyo, more Irish live in Hokkaido (154) than anywhere else — Niseko's ski slopes and rural JET postings at work.
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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