East Asia

Can you drink tap water in Japan?

Capital: TokyoJapaneseUpdated October 2026

YesYes, drinkable

Can you drink the tap water in Japan?

Tap water is safe to drink. Safe to drink everywhere; restaurants serve free water or tea, and many stations and parks have fountains.

Key facts

Safely managed drinking water: 99% of people (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP).

Tap water by place in Japan

Place	Verdict	Notes
Tokyo	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Kyoto	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe; Kyoto is known for soft water.
Osaka	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe and tastes fine; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Hiroshima	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Nara	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; fountains and vending machines are easy to find.
Sapporo	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink and tastes clean; it comes from mountain rivers.
Okinawa	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink, though some islands use desalinated or hard water that tastes odd.
Hakone	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe; spring water fountains are common. Onsen water is for bathing, not drinking.
Fukuoka	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Kawaguchiko	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe and often comes from Fuji spring water; vending machines and bottled water are widespread.
Niseko	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe and cold; it comes from mountain springs and melt.
Yokohama	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; Yokohama's was Japan's first modern waterworks.
Kanazawa	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; Kanazawa's soft water is used for sake and tea.
Takayama	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; many sake breweries use clear mountain springs.
Nagoya	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Nikko	Yes, drinkable	Tap water is safe and cold; mountain spring water fountains are common.
Kamakura	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; most restaurants serve free water or tea.
Kobe	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; Kobe's water is considered soft and tasty.
Hakuba	Yes, drinkable	Safe; mountain spring water is common and tastes excellent.
Ishigaki	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink, though some people find it hard; bottled water is cheap.
Nagasaki	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Shirakawa-go	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; mountain water is clean and very cold.
Miyakojima	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; the island's groundwater is hard, and bottled water is cheap.
Hakodate	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Otaru	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Beppu	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Matsumoto	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; Matsumoto has natural spring-water spots around the center.
Koyasan	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; mountain water is clean and cold.
Furano	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; the town takes water from mountain springs.
Sendai	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Yakushima	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; the island's mountain water is famous and often drunk straight from springs.
Kagoshima	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; restaurants serve free water or tea.
Naoshima	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink. The island sometimes has water-saving notices in dry summers.
Kumano Kodo	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; springs along the trail are marked, but treat unmarked streams.
Kinosaki Onsen	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink. Onsen water is not for drinking unless a sign says so.
Nozawa Onsen	Yes, drinkable	Safe to drink; village water is clean snowmelt. Onsen water is not for drinking.

Tap water by place

Sources

Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.