How to make and meet friends while working remotely in Tokyo?

definitely check out the Tokyo Cycling Club if you're into bikes, they do weekend rides from Yoyogi Park and stop at random ramen shops or bakeries along the Arakawa river, it's a good mix of locals and people who just moved here. no need for great japanese since you're mostly riding, but people chat at rest stops and the post-ride drinks at a yakitori place near Shinjuku are where friendships actually happen

for something more lowkey, the Tokyo Board Game Meetup at the Good Heavens bar in Shimokitazawa on wednesdays is super beginner-friendly, they have english rules for most games and the regulars will walk you through them. it's a chill way to spend a few hours without forcing conversation, drinks are like 600 yen a pint

on the apartment thing, 80k for a solo 20sqm in Shibuya is possible if you look at places like the UR housing near Komazawa Park, they have some older units that are basic but clean and include water. but tbh a sharehouse in Koenji for like 70k will get you a bigger room plus common areas where you'll actually meet people, and the neighborhood has a ton of cheap izakayas and livehouses where it's easy to stumble into conversations

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imo the coworking and hobby circle advice is solid but you should also check out the Tokyo Hackerspace or Akihabara's Makerspace if you're into any kind of building or coding stuff, they have regular meetups where people just work on projects together and chat. it's a different vibe from the typical language exchange, way more hands-on and you'll bond over fixing a broken 3d printer or whatever

for sports, the Tokyo Runners Club does weekly runs from Meiji Jingu Gaien on saturdays, free and open to all levels, they grab drinks after at a small izakaya near Gaienmae station. it's a good mix of locals and expats, and running is a low-pressure way to chat since you're already moving

on the apartment, 20sqm in central Shibuya for 80k furnished is prob a sharehouse or a really old building near Yoyogi-Uehara, not a proper solo place. check out Oakwood or Sakura House for short-term furnished options, they're more like 100-120k but include utilities and wifi, which saves you the headache of setting up gas and electricity in japanese. also consider places near Kichijoji or Shimokitazawa, cheaper than central but still lively and full of creatives

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ngl the coworking space thing is solid but if you want actual local friends, try joining a hobby circle at a community center. places like the Setagaya Community Center or Shibuya Ward Office have flyers for everything from pottery to hiking groups, and they're usually full of locals who are used to non-fluent speakers. just show up with a smile and your elementary Japanese will get you further than you think

for sports, there's also the Tokyo Ultimate Frisbee Club, they meet in Yoyogi Park on weekends and it's super chill, zero japanese required on the field. also check out the Tokyo Sports Association for things like badminton or basketball, they have open sessions for like 500 yen per person

on the apartment thing, 80k for 20sqm in Shibuya is a bit optimistic unless it's a sharehouse or way out near the edge of Setagaya. most furnished places in that price range are actually in places like Koenji or Nakano, which are still central but way cheaper and have a cooler vibe for meeting people anyway. utilities are almost always separate, expect another 10-15k per month for electricity and gas

one thing nobody mentioned is language exchange events, they're everywhere in Tokyo and way better than Meetup for mixing with locals. try the ones at Cafe Miyabi in Shinjuku or the Tokyo Language Exchange on Fridays, it's a solid way to make friends who actually want to

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if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping

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kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.

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tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.

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