Osaka - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
There are some expat hubs in and around Kobe mostly. Many expats band together as it can be hard to make friends with locals. Kobe is very international and has a lot going on for expats, more so than Osaka in my experience. - May 2026
It's not particularly large. We live in a country that is 98% Japanese. Since Covid hit, there are fewer foreigners than ever. Morale among expats is pretty high. Japan is easy to live in and the Japanese are kind. Don't expect to make intimate friends with them, but they are outwardly friendly. - May 2021
Small and shrinking. Many companies are relocating to Singapore. - Jul 2018
It's big but scattered. Morale tends to correlate with Japanese language ability. - Oct 2013
Not as large as Tokyo and hard to meet other expats. - Aug 2006