Do Japanese People Want Foreign Friends? What People in Japan Have Shared
Yes, there are Japanese people who want friends from other countries. Some are curious about different ways of life. Some want to practise a language. Others would simply enjoy meeting someone they get along with.
But wanting to connect and knowing how to start are two different things.
If you’re wondering whether a Japanese person would welcome your message, it helps to hear the question from the other side. They may be wondering whether you’d welcome theirs.
- One person in Tokyo was asking exactly that
- What are people hoping to find in an international friendship?
- Street Interviews: What has been difficult during your trip in Japan?
- Hesitation can come from worries about communication
- Interest in your country is an opening. Give them a chance to discover you.
- How do you know whether the interest is mutual?
- A New Connection Starts Here.
One person in Tokyo was asking exactly that
In a public Reddit post, a writer identifying himself as a Japanese man living in Tokyo described seeing foreign residents every day while having few opportunities to meet people from other countries outside work.
He wanted meaningful conversations and shared experiences, and was still working on his English. One of his questions was whether approaching someone at an event or café would feel welcome—or intrusive. This was an individual’s public account, rather than a Langmate interview, but it offers a useful glimpse of uncertainty on the Japanese side.
Imagine two people at the same event, both interested in talking and both carefully trying not to bother each other. Excellent manners. Very little conversation.
For someone hoping to make Japanese friends, the practical lesson is to make your interest easy to recognise. A friendly comment about the activity you’re both doing gives someone a comfortable opening.
Online, your profile can do some of that work before you exchange a word.
Langmate brings together people in Japan and around the world for conversation and international connections. You can read more about Langmate and its features in English on our official website.
Our team includes Japanese members and people from several other countries. We share a love of travel and making friends, so we care about both sides of that first introduction.
What are people hoping to find in an international friendship?
A useful, if older, snapshot comes from the Nippon Foundation’s 2019 online survey of 1,000 people aged 17–19 in Japan. Among the 635 respondents who had no foreign friends, 58.9% said they wanted to make some.
Their reasons included enjoying intercultural exchange, discovering different perspectives, and improving their language skills. These findings describe a particular age group at that time, rather than Japanese society as a whole.
Those motivations give you several ways to start a conversation.
If someone is curious about life abroad, share a small detail from your day. A neighbourhood celebration, an unusual lunch, or a family habit can be more engaging than a grand explanation of your country.
For example:
My family takes Sunday lunch very seriously. Arriving without an appetite is practically a diplomatic incident. Do you have any family traditions around food?
If they’re interested in languages, ask what they enjoy learning and explain your own goals. If you share a hobby, start there. You don’t have to make every conversation an international cultural exchange programme. Sometimes you’re just two people discussing a disappointing football result.
Street Interviews: What has been difficult during your trip in Japan?
At Langmate, we talk with international visitors on the streets of Japan and share their real experiences on Instagram and TikTok.
This time, we met a woman from Spain wearing a beautiful kimono and asked:
※From Langmate official Instagram/YouTube
Even when someone loves Japan, traveling here can come with unexpected challenges — from language and transportation to everyday customs.
Hearing these honest experiences is a great way to understand what visiting Japan is really like beyond the tourist highlights.
Want to hear more real stories from people traveling in Japan?
Watch more Langmate street interviews on Instagram 🎵
Check Langmate Official Instagram
Hesitation can come from worries about communication
In the same survey’s written responses, some people expressed concern about whether they could communicate. Others mentioned limited opportunities to meet people, or felt that nationality shouldn’t determine whom they became friends with.
That range matters. A person who hasn’t sought out foreign friends may still be open to getting to know you. Another person may have little interest in expanding their social circle. You can’t reliably tell which from a quiet first exchange.
You can, however, make the language expectations clearer:
I’m learning Japanese, so short messages help me. We can use Japanese, English, or translation—whatever feels comfortable for both of us.
And if English isn’t your first language, say so. You don’t need to present yourself as an English teacher to make Japanese friends.
A profile might read:
I’m from Spain and learning Japanese. I’d love to meet people who enjoy football, secondhand shopping, or exchanging everyday stories. Happy to chat in simple Japanese and help with Spanish if you’re interested.
It tells someone what you can share, while leaving room for an ordinary friendship.
Interest in your country is an opening. Give them a chance to discover you.
“Where are you from?” can feel repetitive when you’ve answered it many times. But it can also be someone’s attempt to find a starting point.
Try answering with one detail that invites a more personal conversation:
I’m from Thailand. I recently started growing herbs on my balcony, although the basil seems to have other plans. Do you grow anything?
You’ve answered the question and offered a topic beyond nationality.
The same works in reverse. Ask about the Japanese person’s own preferences and experiences. What do they enjoy about their town? What are they looking forward to this weekend? What hobby would they try if they had more time?
You can be interested in Japan while also being interested in the person telling you about it.
How do you know whether the interest is mutual?
Look for what develops across several conversations. Perhaps they ask about your life, send something connected to your interests, or return to a topic you mentioned earlier.
Language exchange can be part of that connection. What matters is whether the arrangement feels enjoyable and fair to both of you. You can say that you’d like casual conversation alongside practice, and ask whether that suits them.
If someone consistently shows little interest, give them space. You don’t need to persuade every person you meet—or interpret one disappointing exchange as the opinion of an entire country.
There are people in Japan looking for a connection across languages and borders. Your next step is to make yourself a little easier to get to know: add a genuine interest to your profile, share something specific, and give someone a question they might enjoy answering.
They may have been looking for an opening, too.
A New Connection Starts Here.
Find someone you’d like to get to know. Make language exchange and international friendship easier with Langmate.
