Japan's office map is more diverse than the Tokyo-only view suggests. Here is how the major markets compare for a company choosing where to plant its flag.
Tokyo — the global gateway
A third of Japan's GDP within one metro area, every industry cluster, and the deepest talent pool in Asia outside China. Costs are the highest in the country; nothing else offers the same reach.
Osaka — scale at half price
Kansai's 18-million-person region, strong in pharma, manufacturing and trade, with Grade-A rents roughly half of Tokyo's. The 2025 Expo legacy and Umeda's redevelopment left a modernised office stock.
Nagoya — industry's home
The centre of Japan's automotive and machinery belt. Ideal for engineering and supplier offices; station-front towers at Meieki give it a genuine Grade-A core.
Fukuoka — the startup city
Government-backed startup visas, the Tenjin Big Bang rebuild and Asia-facing flight connections make Fukuoka Japan's most dynamic regional market — with rents at a fraction of Tokyo's.
Sapporo & Sendai — the cost plays
Favoured for development centres, BPO and back offices: solid universities, loyal talent, and rents from ¥9,000 per tsubo. Sapporo's IT sector in particular has grown quietly but steadily.
Many firms combine them: a compact Tokyo front office for clients and hiring, plus a regional centre where the real headcount sits. Japan's rail and domestic air network makes the two-city model work better than almost anywhere.