Best places to retire in Japan
For retirees, Nara-shi ranks highest in Japan (retire score 66/100), balancing affordability, a mild climate and safety. The most affordable option is Nara-shi. Our retire score = 40% cost + 30% climate + 30% safety.
Top retirement cities in Japan
- Nara-shi — retire score 66/100 (cost 47, climate 87, safety 69)
- Shizuoka — retire score 65/100 (cost 46, climate 88, safety 66)
- Matsuyama — retire score 65/100 (cost 46, climate 88, safety 68)
- Ōtsu — retire score 64/100 (cost 47, climate 83, safety 69)
- Sendai — retire score 64/100 (cost 45, climate 88, safety 65)
- Utsunomiya — retire score 64/100 (cost 46, climate 85, safety 66)
- Nagasaki — retire score 64/100 (cost 47, climate 87, safety 64)
- Nagano — retire score 64/100 (cost 47, climate 84, safety 67)
- Ōita — retire score 64/100 (cost 46, climate 89, safety 62)
- Wakayama — retire score 63/100 (cost 47, climate 85, safety 62)
- Takamatsu — retire score 63/100 (cost 47, climate 82, safety 64)
- Miyazaki — retire score 63/100 (cost 47, climate 86, safety 60)
Retire score weights affordability, climate comfort and disaster+crime safety. It does not include healthcare quality or retirement-visa rules — verify those separately.
FAQ
Where is the best place to retire in Japan?
Nara-shi ranks highest in our retirement score (66/100), balancing affordability, mild climate and safety.
Is Japan a good place to retire?
Japan's best retirement city scores 66/100; the most affordable is Nara-shi (cost 47/100). We weigh cost, climate and natural-disaster + crime safety — not healthcare or visas, which you should check separately.
What's the cheapest place to retire in Japan?
Nara-shi has the lowest cost of living in Japan in our data.