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Country profile

British nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
22,428
Total Population of UK: ~68 million
Growth (past 10 years)
+41.7%
15,826 in 2015 → 22,428 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Permanent resident
7,265
Engineer / Humanities
3,615
Spouse of Japanese
3,207
Designated activities
2,495
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The Average British Migrant

Male profile

The average British male in Japan is a permanent resident in his early thirties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age30–34
Top visaPermanent resident (35.2%)
2nd visaSpouse of Japanese (16.3%)
Population16,369 (73.0%)
Female profile

The average British female in Japan is a permanent resident in her early thirties, living in Tokyo.

Modal age30–34
Top visaPermanent resident (24.8%)
2nd visaEngineer / Humanities (16.6%)
Population6,059 (27.0%)

Population over time

Total British residents

Annual figures, 1969–2025 — hover the line for details
05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00019641970198019902000201020202025
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 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 7,265 7,265 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 3,615 3,615 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 3,207 3,207 Designated activities Designated activities: 2,495 2,495 Instructor Instructor: 1,679 1,679 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 1,040 1,040 Student Student: 1,039 1,039 High-skilled professional High-skilled professional: 420 420 Business manager Business manager: 363 363 Professor Professor: 318 318 Long-term resident Long-term resident: 249 249 Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee: 118 118
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 5,201 Permanent resident 2025: 7,265 5,201 7,265 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 3,013 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 3,615 3,013 3,615 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 2,514 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 3,207 2,514 3,207 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 912 Designated activities 2025: 2,495 912 2,495 (2025) Instructor Instructor 2015: 1,279 Instructor 2025: 1,679 1,279 1,679 (2025) Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent 2015: 684 Family stay / Dependent 2025: 1,040 684 1,040 (2025) Student Student 2015: 602 Student 2025: 1,039 602 1,039 (2025) High-skilled professional High-skilled professional 2015: 25 High-skilled professional 2025: 420 25 420 (2025) Business manager Business manager 2015: 238 Business manager 2025: 363 238 363 (2025) Professor Professor 2015: 449 449 318 (2025)
Where UK is heavier than rest of world Where UK is lighter (or absent) Permanent resident British: 32.4% 32.4% Rest of world: 22.9% 22.9% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services British: 16.1% 16.1% Rest of world: 11.5% 11.5% Spouse of Japanese British: 14.3% 14.3% Rest of world: 3.6% 3.6% Designated activities British: 11.1% 11.1% Rest of world: 3.0% 3.0% Instructor British: 7.5% 7.5% Rest of world: 0.3% 0.3% High-skilled professional British: 1.9% 1.9% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Business manager British: 1.6% 1.6% Rest of world: 1.1% 1.1% Professor British: 1.4% 1.4% Rest of world: 0.2% 0.2% Intra-company transferee British: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 0.5% 0.5% Entertainer British: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Cultural activities British: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Religion British: 0.2% 0.2% Rest of world: 0.1% 0.1% Technical Intern Trainee British: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 11.1% 11.1% Specified Skilled Worker British: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 9.5% 9.5% Student British: 4.6% 4.6% Rest of world: 11.3% 11.3% Special Permanent resident British: 0.4% 0.4% Rest of world: 6.5% 6.5% Long-term resident British: 1.1% 1.1% Rest of world: 5.5% 5.5% Family stay / Dependent British: 4.6% 4.6% Rest of world: 8.6% 8.6% Skilled labour British: 0.4% 0.4% Rest of world: 1.3% 1.3% Spouse of PR British: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 1.4% 1.4%

Demographics

Age distribution

All British residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 0–4: 268 268 0–4 5–9: 251 251 5–9 10–14: 219 219 10–14 15–19: 446 446 15–19 20–24: 1,936 1,936 20–24 25–29: 2,563 2,563 25–29 30–34: 3,030 3,030 30–34 35–39: 2,549 2,549 35–39 40–44: 2,251 2,251 40–44 45–49: 2,236 2,236 45–49 50–54: 1,974 1,974 50–54 55–59: 1,622 1,622 55–59 60–64: 1,289 1,289 60–64 65–69: 761 761 65–69 70–74: 499 499 70–74 75–79: 328 328 75–79 80+: 206 206 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 144 124 5–9 126 125 10–14 107 112 15–19 271 175 20–24 1,157 779 25–29 1,636 927 30–34 2,060 970 35–39 1,910 639 40–44 1,763 488 45–49 1,838 398 50–54 1,642 332 55–59 1,302 320 60–64 1,041 248 65–69 600 161 70–74 360 139 75–79 256 72 80+ 156 50

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 16,369 (73.0%) Female: 6,059 (27.0%) 22,428 total
Male
16,369 (73.0%)
Female
6,059 (27.0%)

The British community in Japan is strongly male-skewed (73%), reflecting decades of British men coming for work in engineering, finance, and English-teaching — and many settling permanently or marrying Japanese spouses.

Permanent resident: 1,502 (24.8%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 1,008 (16.6%) Designated activities: 856 (14.1%) Family stay / Dependent: 615 (10.2%) Instructor: 584 (9.6%) Spouse of Japanese: 538 (8.9%) Student: 429 (7.1%) High-skilled professional: 94 (1.6%) Long-term resident: 72 (1.2%) Business manager: 72 (1.2%) Professor: 69 (1.1%) Special Permanent resident: 52 (0.9%) Spouse of PR: 45 (0.7%) Other: 123 (2.0%) Total female 6,059
6,059 female British residents — by status of residence
Permanent resident1,502
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services1,008
Designated activities856
Family stay / Dependent615
Instructor584
Spouse of Japanese538
Student429
High-skilled professional94
Long-term resident72
Business manager72
Professor69
Special Permanent resident52
Spouse of PR45
Other123
Permanent resident: 5,763 (35.2%) Spouse of Japanese: 2,669 (16.3%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 2,607 (15.9%) Designated activities: 1,639 (10.0%) Instructor: 1,095 (6.7%) Student: 610 (3.7%) Family stay / Dependent: 425 (2.6%) High-skilled professional: 326 (2.0%) Business manager: 291 (1.8%) Professor: 249 (1.5%) Long-term resident: 177 (1.1%) Intra-company transferee: 99 (0.6%) Entertainer: 81 (0.5%) Other: 338 (2.1%) Total male 16,369
16,369 male British residents — by status of residence
Permanent resident5,763
Spouse of Japanese2,669
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services2,607
Designated activities1,639
Instructor1,095
Student610
Family stay / Dependent425
High-skilled professional326
Business manager291
Professor249
Long-term resident177
Intra-company transferee99
Entertainer81
Other338
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 6,059 Male 16,369

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
7,689
Kanagawa
Kanto
2,012
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
1,748
Osaka
Kansai
1,405
Chiba
Kanto
1,028
Nagano
Chubu
812
Hyogo
Kansai
760
Saitama
Kanto
753
Kyoto
Kansai
722
Aichi
Chubu
720
Bottom 10
Shimane
Chugoku
27
Saga
Kyushu
35
Aomori
Tohoku
35
Fukui
Chubu
37
Tottori
Chugoku
37
Tokushima
Shikoku
38
Wakayama
Kansai
50
Toyama
Chubu
52
Akita
Tohoku
53
Yamagata
Tohoku
54

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in British residents over the past decade
Largest increase
Tokyo
Kanto
+1827
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
+1028
Nagano
Chubu
+517
Osaka
Kansai
+489
Kanagawa
Kanto
+460
Largest decrease
Nagasaki
Kyushu
-1
Toyama
Chubu
+5
Mie
Kansai
+5
Okayama
Chugoku
+5
Aomori
Tohoku
+6
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Tokyo Kanagawa Hokkaido Osaka Chiba Nagano Hyogo Saitama

Fun Fact

The UK community is unusually senior: nearly 1 in 3 British residents are aged 50+ — one of the oldest age profiles of any nationality in Japan, reflecting decades of British people settling permanently.
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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