This Bustling Metropolis Was Ranked The World's Best City For A Workation In 2025

Since the pandemic and the rise of work-from-home culture, the workation has become central to many people's lives. In 2025, almost a quarter of the American workforce worked remotely (per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), and a reported 66% of global workers in a 2023 Owl Labs survey believed working from home should be a legal right. It's no wonder, then, that countries have tried to lure deep-pocketed foreigners to their shores through workation schemes, like the 60-plus countries offering digital nomad visas or those with relaxed labor laws and quality remote work infrastructure.

Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mexico tend to top lists of the most desirable countries for a workation. And you could argue Mauritius offers remote workers the most enticing change of scenery with its renewable, one-year premium visa. But according to data released by International Workplace Group (IWG), there's no better city for a 2025 workation than Tokyo, one of the surprisingly affordable cities digital nomads are now flocking to. 

The study analyzed cities across 12 different categories (each scored out of 10), awarding the Japanese capital a total score of 91. Pipping Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, Seoul, and Barcelona to the top post, Tokyo ranked highly for its access to Wi-Fi and broadband speed, best-in-class transport network, almost mythical levels of public safety, and storied cultural offerings. This year was the first year Tokyo was included, following the launch of a digital nomad visa targeted at high-earning remote workers from 51 countries, so expect it to remain high on the list for years to come.

Tokyo's status as a remote work destination (and possibly the best country for solo travelers) comes at a time when Japan is undergoing a tourism boom. After more than two years of draconian border policies ended in 2022, tourists have swarmed the country, with a record 36.9 million visiting in 2024. The number of foreign residents has hit a record high, too, but many have discovered a timeworn truism: Japanese work culture is notoriously demanding. Work-life balance is barely an afterthought, and terms like karoshi, meaning death from overworking, have entered the public lexicon. A Tokyo workation allows you to bypass the stranglehold of Japanese corporate life — the digital nomad visa requires your income to be sourced from abroad — and appreciate being in one of the world's greatest metropolises.

Spend your day working in a cafe designed by a legendary architect or one that plays jazz records on turntables with high-end sound systems. In your downtime, sample Michelin-recognized cuisine, shop for mint-condition retro electronics, bar hop in lantern-lit alleyways, or explore museums dedicated to Studio Ghibli, Art Deco design, or ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Proximity to nature also makes a workation worthwhile, and despite Tokyo's reputation as a concrete jungle, greenery and seascapes are on your doorstep. The mountains of Okutama engulf the western end of Tokyo Prefecture, surfer towns Kamakura and Enoshima are only an hour away, or you can hop on a northbound train to Nikko National Park, where legendary samurai Tokugawa Ieyasu was entombed.