Thanks guys! I’d been researching a bunch of stuff over the last few weeks and ended up opting for Osaka in the end for a longer stay, with 2 weeks in Tokyo.

As you say, it’s tricky and expensive to find co-working spaces, but I was a little bit worried about the ergonomics of cafe spaces and since I end up needing to make quite a lot of Skype calls, wasn’t so sure about how well that would work.

Anyway, a little bit of home-working from an AirBnb in Tokyo (avoiding co-working costs) and then grabbing a co-working spot in Osaka looks like it should work out quite nicely. Kyoto would have been lovely but I can’t quite justify the high prices. Looks like Osaka might be a nice compromise.

Thanks again for the tips! It was definitely useful

I know you’re looking for coworking places, but I’d like to add to kathrynoh’s cafe suggestion. But for Internet access, I almost always had to use a pocket wifi device or have one as back up. Some cafe’s had slow wifi, or required a Japanese phone number to register, or didn’t have wifi at all.

Like kaythrynoh mentioned, in Kyoto, I checked out a internet/manga cafe once with private booths but they allowed smoking, so I couldn’t stay to work. But, if there are non-smoking ones they do seem like good places to really focus.

I don’t have any Osaka recommendations because I only stayed there for two days and didn’t work. But, in Kyoto I went to Mos Cafe (the link goes to Google Maps) multiple times and found that the 2nd floor is a good place to work. However, I did have to used my AirBnB’s pocket wifi for Internet access.

(Unlike kathrynoh, I would choose Kyoto over Osaka but that’s not too relevant here haha )

I used a coworking space in Osaka last year but I forget the name of it, sorry. I didn’t find it that great anyway. It has the feeling of working in a public library which made me think why didn’t I just go to to a library and use the space for free! It seemed more of a space for students to use for study.

If spaces only have information in Japanese, I’d think they are unlikely to have English speaking staff available which could be an issue. When if you figure out the info on the site using a translator, what are you doing to do when you get there and have to speak to people in person.

Btw are you looking in Osaka or Kyoto? Most of your links seem to be for Kyoto.

Maybe checkout Hacker News Kansai.

google “HN Kansai” will get you the link.

Tried “D Spot Com Nagahori” coworking space that I spotted on coworkerdotcom.

It is a very nice coworking space! I definitely recommend it. Very good internet speed, comfortable seats, quiet, meeting rooms, etc. 1000 Yen per day is really good value for what it is.

You can also try Osakan Space, they are on the 10th floor of a building just north of exit #1 of Hommachi station, in a building with an Au store on the first floor. Building entrance is to the left of the Au store.

Btw, I tried one called Co:Labo coworking space. It’s located right next to Namba train station. Feels more like a library than a coworking space, wifi is decent, comfortable chairs, printer, etc. Nothing mind blowing but it does a decent job. Price is per 1200 Yen/day, or 1500 Yen if you do over 9 hours.

How does one find accommodation in these places nothing on airbnb. even kyoto is like 85% booked for may.

Check out Kamiyama in Tokushima. It’s a mountain village that is trying to position itself as a nomad hub within Japan. There are a number of Japanese companies that have satellite offices there.

Here’s an article about it:

Let me know if you go!

Jealous, I also just visited there but loved it. My favorite places were Matsuyama and Takamatsu, but I suppose they are too big for your requirements. Niihama was ok, too. Keep me updated on where you end up!

I’ve spent a bit of time in Shikoku, not living just visiting. It really is an amazing place. Pretty much anywhere on the island would be great. Even the cities aren’t that huge.

I’d say you’d be pretty limited to where you can actually find accommodation specially short term. I’d look for that first then go from there, rather than having a fixed idea about a specific location.

I did a similar thing in Korea. The legal system is very similar. Korea inherited a lot of their modern legal system and bureaucracy during the military occupation during the first half of the 1900s.

In Korea, here are the traditional steps. AFAIK they are REALLY similar in Japan.

• Get an office. You can probably use a home, but someone from the tax office is going to come inspect once a year to make sure that it really is a place of business. (Depending on what you do, it will matter what the office looks like. If you claim to be manufacturing chemicals, but you’re doing it from an apartment address, chances are you’re not going to get approved.)
• Register your corporation with the Division of Corporations (In Korea, the 등기국). There’s quite a bit of paperwork, but that’s the case with everything in Korea and Japan. They have a counseling office where they can help you. But chances are, you’re going to need to speak the language. (Seriously. I discussed this with EVERY person along the way in Korea. Everyone said, “Oh, thank heavens you speak fluent Korean. We get foreigners who wander in every once in a while and it’s impossible. It takes FOREVER.”)
• Receive a license from the district office. This is not the “business license”, but a license permitting a certain type of activity. This only matters if you’re trying to get something like an education/cram-school license or a food handler’s license for your restaurant. Or a liquor license for your restaurant. (Or a license to manufacture chemicals in your home, I guess.)
• Register for a business license with the Tax Office. You’ll need the business registration certificates that you received from the Division of Corporations. This is where you are actually granted a business license.
• Congratulations. You’re a registered business in Korea. Or hopefully, Japan.

Then you have to go through the business of applying for the visa. That requires all SORTS of documentation from your home jurisdiction, including a bunch of letters and forms that are apostilled. (It’s an internationally recognized notarization.)

In Korea, and likely in Japan, you can hire a legal barrister for it. (Somewhere between a paralegal and a lawyer.) In Korea, I’d plan on USD$4000, and plan on them saying “No, this totally won’t work” all along the way. Also, watch them be amazed when it works, because it actually does work.

Or, you can do like I did and do it all manually. By hand. Painfully. Visiting all of the government offices. And doing all of the translation of all of the documents by yourself.

Not a horrible experience. I learned a LOT. Including how to translate Articles of Incorporation into Korean.

But you probably won’t want to do that.

Best of luck, and please post what you learn here!