Moving to Japan from North Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Korea to Japan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from North Korea to Japan, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How North Korea and Japan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
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
North Korea generally does better on environment, though Japan leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
North Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Japan leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Japan performs significantly 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 significantly 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 | P'yongyang | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Japan Meteorological AgencyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Japan. To live, work, or study long-term in Japan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Japan's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Required
Japan passport holder visiting North Korea
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 Japan?
Working remotely from Japan's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Japan.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to North Korea?
North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
