TOKYO — Britain’s love affair with Japan is growing as the Asian country opens its doors to British workers who want to work remotely in the country.

Available in Japan starting this week Six-month Digital Nomad VisaJapan lovers in the UK will have nine months to work and sightsee remotely, on top of the existing three-month “tourist” visa.

Such visas are becoming increasingly popular with Britons seeking to escape a cost-of-living crisis as post-Brexit travel rules limit how long they can stay in many EU countries.

Japan’s visas are aimed at high earners (£52,000 or more), but experts say digital nomads on lower incomes could consider coming directly – british tourists Automatically obtain a three-month visa on arrival or other visas.

“Citizens of most visa-free countries can visit Japan for three months at a time, for a total of no more than six months per year, while a handful of countries, including the UK, are allowed to stay for a full six months consecutively,” said a spokesperson for relocation consultant Japan Remotely Melvin Shepard points out.

This is called “visa-waiver status” or a tourist visa, but working on this visa is in a gray area. Mr Shepherd said despite the ambiguity, it was best not to work on the project, even remotely, although conditions allowed for “commercial” activity – making the nomadic visa worth the extra effort.

“That visa-exempt status Not intended for remote work. Japanese immigrants It is clearly stated that the purpose of this short-term visa is ‘tourism, business, visiting relatives and friends’, etc.,” he said.

Short-term residence and digital nomad visas offer a sweet spot, allowing candidates to enjoy a honeymoon period without having to deal with long-term challenges faced by residents, such as signing up for health insurance or paying local income tax.

Other options for living in Japan include student visas, working holiday visas (18-30) and “start up“Visa.

Navigator William Adams was the first Englishman to arrive in Japan in 1600. His leap from virtual shipwreck to shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s key adviser in a country where assimilation has become more difficult is now difficult to emulate.

But that hasn’t stopped Brits like Mike Sundar from trying. The 35-year-old from London, who came to Japan from the UK to study in 2013, decided Japan had more to offer and decided to stay on a work visa.

He said he found people generally “very friendly and helpful.”

“While close relationships take longer to cultivate, they are ultimately non-transactional and last a lifetime,” said Mr. Sundar, who runs creative studio Push, which develops branded content and produces music in Tokyo Videos and documentaries.

“Even if Japanese pop culture (and even subculture) feels stagnant, global curiosity about Japanese culture persists and continues to produce interesting output and cultural mashups.”

Jessica Speed, who arrived from the UK in 2022 to work on a national sex education project, said she had “no plans to return to the UK in the short term”.

Ms Speed ​​believes homestays are a great way to get to know the people, their language and their customs. “I am lucky enough to live with a host family who are some of the kindest, most loving people I have ever met; they are some of the nicest people I have ever met.” “They treat me like their own daughter, And it showed me the warm and welcoming nature of Japanese people,” the 26-year-old said of her first visit to Japan as a student in 2018.

English is not widely spoken, and many Japanese are reluctant to get too close to foreigners.A recent poll showed that only 57% of Japanese are interested in owning their neighbor’s foreigner.

“Working in Japan’s local government gave me a proper understanding of Japan’s traditional work culture,” said Ms. Speed, who now works at a newspaper. “Although I feel like our [British] The national character of politeness and reserve suits Japan well, but I also find myself a bit frustrated by Japan’s rigidity and bureaucracy. “

Mr. Sunda agrees that Japan’s fondness for bureaucracy is irritating, especially for those who run businesses. “Endless paperwork and time-consuming bureaucracy, it’s very much in favor of large corporations and the status quo, rather than independent startups or individuals trying to operate more nimbly.”

Another drawback, expats say, is living among a population that largely considers itself racially homogeneous. Racial profiling by Japanese police is one result.

“I have been stopped and searched 30-40 times over a decade, including outside my own home and inside my own office building,” Mr Sundar said. “I find this blatant profiling almost amusing, but at this point, it’s just an annoyance.”