Best places to retire in Japan
For retirees, Kyoto ranks highest in Japan (retire score 60/100), balancing affordability, a mild climate and safety. The most affordable option is Kyoto. Our retire score = 40% cost + 30% climate + 30% safety.
Top retirement cities in Japan
- Kyoto — retire score 60/100 (cost 37, climate 83, safety 67)
- Nara-shi — retire score 59/100 (cost 30, climate 87, safety 69)
- Matsuyama — retire score 58/100 (cost 29, climate 88, safety 68)
- Ōtsu — retire score 58/100 (cost 30, climate 83, safety 69)
- Sendai — retire score 57/100 (cost 27, climate 88, safety 65)
- Shizuoka — retire score 57/100 (cost 28, climate 88, safety 66)
- Utsunomiya — retire score 57/100 (cost 29, climate 85, safety 66)
- Ōita — retire score 57/100 (cost 29, climate 89, safety 62)
- Nagasaki — retire score 57/100 (cost 30, climate 87, safety 64)
- Nagano — retire score 57/100 (cost 30, climate 84, safety 67)
- Wakayama — retire score 56/100 (cost 30, climate 85, safety 62)
- Takamatsu — retire score 56/100 (cost 30, climate 82, safety 64)
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?
Kyoto ranks highest in our retirement score (60/100), balancing affordability, mild climate and safety.
Is Japan a good place to retire?
Japan's best retirement city scores 60/100; the most affordable is Kyoto (cost 37/100). 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?
Kyoto has the lowest cost of living in Japan in our data.