Moving to North Korea from Japan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Japan to North Korea? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Japan to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Japan to North Korea.
Who's moving to North Korea?
Top countries of origin for North Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 29,248
- 5,477
- 2,990
- 2,841
- 1,444
- 1,049
- · · ·
-
13.214
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in North Korea compared to Japan.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan generally does better on environment, though North Korea leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Japan generally does better on infrastructure, though North Korea leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Japan performs better than North Korea across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
Japan performs better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
Japan Meteorological AgencyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan and North Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in North Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check North Korea's immigration authority.
Japan passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting Japan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from North Korea?
From major North Korea cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Japan and North Korea are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to Japan?
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 36.7 doctors per 10,000 people in North Korea, compared to 26.1 in Japan. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
