Japan Regional Migration Subsidy: Up to ¥5M to Move Out of Tokyo (Foreigners Eligible?)

Quick Answer (30 seconds)

Japan's national 地方創生移住支援事業 (Regional Migration Support Program) pays people to leave Tokyo for rural and regional areas. Key facts:

• Base grants: ¥600,000 (single person) / ¥1,000,000 (household) + ¥1,000,000 per child under 18
• Startup bonus: Stack an additional ¥2,000,000 if you launch a qualifying business at the destination
• Combined national maximum: ¥5,000,000 for a family with 2 children who also starts a business
• Foreign nationals: Eligible — but only with permanent residency or specific spousal/settled visas. Standard employment visas (engineer, HSP, etc.) do not qualify.
• Origin requirement: Must have lived in or commuted to the Tokyo 23 wards specifically for 5+ cumulative years in the past 10 years

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The ¥10 Million Figure: Real or Hype?

Many English-language articles claim Japan pays "up to ¥10 million" to move to the countryside. This is misleading. There is no single government program with a ¥10M cap.

The ¥10M figure comes from stacking multiple independent programs:

Source	Approx. amount
National relocation grant (family + 3 children)	¥4,000,000
National startup grant	¥2,000,000
Municipal housing purchase subsidy	¥1,000,000–¥2,500,000
Prefectural top-up grant	¥500,000–¥1,500,000
Municipal vacant house (akiya 空家) renovation subsidy	¥500,000–¥2,000,000

This stacking is real and possible — but requires qualifying for every program simultaneously, which is unusual. The accurate claim is: ¥5M from national programs alone for a family with children who also launches a business, with potential to stack further with municipal programs.

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移住支援金 — Regional Migration Grant

Amounts (national program)

Applicant	National maximum
Single person (単身)	¥600,000
Household of 2+ (世帯)	¥1,000,000
Per accompanying child under 18	+¥1,000,000 each

Examples:

• Single person: ¥600,000
• Couple, no children: ¥1,000,000
• Couple + 1 child: ¥2,000,000
• Couple + 2 children: ¥3,000,000
• Single parent + 2 children: ¥2,600,000

These are the national program ceilings. Many municipalities add their own top-ups on top of the national amount.

Who is eligible?

Residence requirement (origin):

• Must have lived in the Tokyo 23 wards (東京23区) — not just greater Tokyo — for a cumulative 5+ years in the past 10 years, including continuously for at least 1 year immediately before moving
• Commuters who lived outside the 23 wards but commuted into them daily may also qualify under extended eligibility rules — confirm with the destination municipality

If you moved from Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, or anywhere other than the Tokyo 23-ward area, the national program does not apply to you. Some prefectures run separate (non-national) return-home programs without this Tokyo origin requirement.

Employment/activity requirement (destination):

Must satisfy one of:

1. Take up a new job at an SME listed on the prefecture's migration job-matching website — minimum 20 hrs/week, indefinite contract, must be a new hire (not internal corporate transfer), intending to stay 5+ years
2. Continue remote work (telework) for your prior employer from the new location
3. Apply for the startup grant (起業支援金) within 1 year of moving
4. Meet municipality-specific criteria for "relationship population" programs

2025 expansion (confirmed Japan Times, March 2025): Eligible destination employment now includes agriculture, nursing/welfare, and self-employment in qualifying businesses — expanding beyond the previous office-worker focus.

Stay commitment:

• Must remain at the destination for 5 years
• Clawback if you leave early: Full repayment if you leave within 3 years; 50% repayment if you leave between 3–5 years

Can foreign nationals qualify?

Conditionally yes — but the visa requirement is strict.

Eligible foreign national visa statuses (verbatim from Kochi and Hiroshima prefectural official pages):

• 永住者 (Permanent Resident)
• 日本人配偶者等 (Spouse or child of Japanese national)
• 永住者配偶者等 (Spouse or child of Permanent Resident)
• 定住者 (Long-term Resident / Settled Status)
• 特別永住者 (Special Permanent Resident)

Not eligible under standard program rules:

• 技術・人文知識・国際業務 (Engineer / Specialist in Humanities) — the most common expat work visa
• 高度専門職 (Highly Skilled Professional)
• 特定技能 (Specified Skilled Worker)
• 経営・管理 (Business Manager)
• 家族滞在 (Dependent / Family Stay)
• Student, Working Holiday, and other status types

This means most foreign residents on employment visas cannot access this national program. If you hold permanent residency or a qualifying spousal/settled status and have the required Tokyo residency history, you may be eligible.

Individual municipalities sometimes expand or restrict this visa list. Always confirm with the specific destination municipality.

How to apply

1. Research before moving — verify the destination municipality participates (~1,300 of Japan's municipalities, in 44 of 47 prefectures) and confirm your eligibility
2. Secure qualifying employment or startup funding at the destination first
3. Relocate and register your new address (住民票転入) at the destination municipal office
4. Wait 3 months after registration (typical minimum residency before eligibility)
5. Apply at the destination municipality's city/town hall (市区町村役場) — within 1 year of registration
6. Submit: juminhyo history proving Tokyo 23-ward residency, employment contract or startup grant approval, and program-specific forms

There is no central national application. Each municipality administers its own process with its own forms.

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起業支援金 — Startup Grant

If you start a qualifying business in a regional area, you can receive an additional grant on top of the migration subsidy.

Item	Detail
Maximum amount	¥2,000,000 (up to 50% of actual startup expenses)
Type of business	"Social businesses" addressing regional issues (地域課題解決型起業) — agriculture, food, care, tourism, community services, etc.
Stack with migration grant?	Yes — these are independent programs
Application timing	Apply within 1 year of moving

Combined national maximum with startup grant:

Household	Migration grant	Startup grant	Total
Single, no business	¥600,000	—	¥600,000
Household, no business	¥1,000,000	—	¥1,000,000
Household + 2 children, no business	¥3,000,000	—	¥3,000,000
Household + 2 children + startup	¥3,000,000	¥2,000,000	¥5,000,000

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Municipal Top-Ups and Stacking

Many municipalities add their own grants on top of the national program. Common types:

Program	Typical amount	Notes
Municipal housing purchase subsidy	¥500,000–¥2,000,000	Varies widely
akiya 空家 (vacant house) renovation subsidy	50% of costs, up to ¥1–2.5M	Requires committing to live there
Child-rearing bonus	¥100,000–¥500,000 per child	Municipality-specific
Prefectural top-up	¥500,000–¥1,500,000	Requires meeting prefectural criteria
Free or discounted housing	varies	Some remote municipalities offer free houses with conditions

How to find municipal programs: The Cabinet Office runs the iikamo (iikamo) portal listing participating municipalities and their programs: chisou.go.jp/iikamo

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Tax Treatment

[Confirmed by National Tax Agency (NTA) official document]

• 移住支援金 and 起業支援金 payments are treated as 一時所得 (temporary income) for income tax purposes
• Up to ¥500,000 of 一時所得 is tax-exempt; amounts above ¥500,000 are subject to income tax (at half the amount, so ¥1M 一時所得 = ¥250,000 taxable income)
• Practical implication: most recipients will pay some income tax on these grants, reducing the net benefit modestly

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Is This Right for You?

Situation	Verdict
On permanent residency, 5+ years in Tokyo 23 wards, open to rural life	Strong candidate — check iikamo portal for matching municipalities
On a standard employment visa (engineer, HSP, etc.)	Not eligible for national program — check if destination municipality has separate programs
Not from Tokyo 23 wards (e.g., from Osaka or Nagoya)	Not eligible for national program — check prefectural return-home programs
Considering starting a rural business	Excellent fit — migration + startup grants together can reach ¥5M
Need to stay flexible (possible return to Tokyo within 5 years)	Risky — clawback rules require 5-year commitment

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FAQ

Q1. I'm a permanent resident who has lived in Tokyo's Minato Ward for 7 years. Am I eligible? Likely yes — you meet the visa requirement (永住者) and the 5+ year Tokyo 23-ward residency requirement. You would need to find qualifying employment at the destination, register your new address there, and apply within 1 year. Confirm the specific destination municipality participates and verify your exact eligibility conditions with them.

Q2. My work visa is 技術・人文知識・国際業務. Can I get this grant? Under the standard national program rules: no. The visa requirement lists permanent residency and specific spousal/settled statuses only. Some municipalities have their own programs without this restriction — worth checking individually, especially if the municipality is actively seeking foreign workers.

Q3. Can I take my remote work job with me and still qualify? Yes — remote work (telework continuation) is a qualifying employment type at the destination. You do not need to find a new local employer if you are continuing remote work from your previous employer.

Q4. What counts as "Tokyo 23 wards"? I live in Musashino City (武蔵野市). Musashino City is in western Tokyo but is NOT one of the 23 special wards. Only residents of the 23 designated special wards (千代田区, 中央区, 港区, etc.) qualify by residence. However, people who live outside the 23 wards but commute daily to a workplace inside the 23 wards may also qualify under commuter eligibility — confirm with the destination municipality.

Q5. Is the grant money taxable? Yes, partially. It is treated as 一時所得. The first ¥500,000 of 一時所得 is tax-exempt; above that, half the amount is added to your taxable income for the year. For a ¥1M grant, approximately ¥250,000 would be added to your taxable income.

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• Japan Permanent Residency 2026: Pension Compliance, Language Rule & Fee Hike
• Highly Skilled Professional Visa: Fast Track to Permanent Residency

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Last updated: 2026-06-16