Home Blog Shared House Guide Taiwan japan, cross culture unique connection guide for western foreigners and Japanese
Moving to a new country for university, an exchange semester, or a gap year is a life-changing adventure. For international students and expats arriving in Taiwan, one of the most surprising and welcoming aspects of living in Taipei is how deeply integrated Japanese culture is within daily urban life.
Whether you are a Western student fascinated by East Asian cultural crossovers, or a Japanese student (日本人留学生 / ワーホリ) looking for a familiar home away from home, Taipei feels uniquely connected to Japan. From authentic izakayas tucked into historic alleys to 24/7 discount paradises like Don Don Donki, Taipei offers a vibrant "Little Tokyo" experience.
Here, we break down the historical and modern Taiwan-Japan connection, answer whether if you get by with Japanese in Taiwan , guide you to the best Japanese lifestyle hubs and Japanese communities ,exchanges , and explain why living in a co-living community makes settling into Taiwan effortless.
Taiwan and Japan share a multifaceted relationship that spans over a century. From 1895 to 1945, Japanese influence helped shape much of Taiwan’s early modern infrastructure, railway networks, urban planning, and architectural heritage. This historical day is recognized yearly on the 26th of October with a public holiday called GuangFujie 台灣光復節（國定假日）
Today, this shared history has transformed into a mutual cultural affinity and deep friendship:
Architectural Heritage: Historic districts like Zhongshan, Qingtian Street (青田街), and Qiangui showcase beautifully preserved Japanese wooden bungalows (Machiya style), former administrative buildings, and traditional tea houses now repurposed into trendy vintage cafes.
Pop Culture & Fashion Crossover: Japanese anime, manga, J-Pop, streetwear, and interior design are immensely popular among Taiwanese youth. Major Japanese retail giants like MUJI, UNIQLO, GU, and TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE are staples of everyday shopping across Taipei.
Travel & Hospitality: Taiwan is consistently listed as one of the top travel destinations for Japanese tourists and working holiday makers, while Japan remains the #1 vacation spot for Taiwanese locals. This continuous exchange keeps cultural ties incredibly active.
Taiwanese perce
For international residents, this means living in Taipei gives you the best of both worlds: Taiwanese warmth, affordability, and night-market culture paired with Japanese efficiency, convenience, and aesthetic design.
A primary question for prospective Japanese exchange students and foreigners who speak the language is: Can you navigate Taipei using Japanese?
The short answer is yes, surprisingly well—depending on the district, age group, and social environment you are in:
[ Hospitality & Tourism Hubs ] ➔ High Japanese Proficiency (Hotels, Department Stores, Linsen North Rd) [ University Campuses ] ➔ Strong Interest & Student Clubs (Mandarin-Japanese Language Swaps) [ Elderly Generations ] ➔ Historical Japanese Speakers (Varies by Region) In major Japanese-heavy commercial zones—such as the Linsen North Road (林森北路) district in Zhongshan, major department stores (SOGO, Shin Shin Mitsukoshi), and international hotel counters—staff frequently speak fluent Japanese. Many menus and signage across Taipei include clear Japanese translations alongside Traditional Chinese and English.
Japanese is by far the most popular second foreign language studied by Taiwanese university students. Campus organizations at top institutions—such as National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), and Tamkang University—have active Japanese language clubs (日本語研究會) and cultural exchange groups.
If you speak Japanese (or are a native Japanese speaker wanting to practice English or Mandarin), finding a language exchange partner (日台言語交換) in Taipei is incredibly easy.
Due to historical education prior to 1945, older generations in Taiwan sometimes speak fluent Japanese. While encountering elderly Japanese speakers in daily modern errands is less common, the linguistic influence remains embedded in everyday Taiwanese Mandarin loanwords:
Sashimi (刺身)
Bento (便當 - Pian-tong)
Obasan (歐巴桑 - older lady)
Wasabi (哇沙米)
Japanese is one of the 4 main language frequently displayed all across major public environments. All signs in the metro are display in Chinese, English ,Korean and Japanese due to the constant tourism form these countries and English people the global medium language. Many staffs / restaurant menus also have japanese text next to the Chinese for easy reading. For eateries that are heavily Japanese inspired , the staff either is Japanese or speaks Japanese to some level.
Japanese is consistently ranked as the #1 most popular foreign language to study in Taiwan after English.
Whether driven by anime, gaming, pop culture, travel, or career opportunities with Japanese multinational corporations in Taipei, young Taiwanese people are exceptionally eager to learn and practice Japanese:
High Enrollment in Universities: Major institutions across Taipei—such as National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), Soochow University, and Tamkang University—have dedicated Japanese Language & Culture departments with thousands of students enrolled every year.
Campus Clubs & Societies: Almost every university in Taipei hosts an active Japanese Culture & Language Club (日本語研究會 / 日文社), organizing weekly study groups, anime watch parties, and cultural exchange trips.
Vloggers & Self-Study Culture: Beyond formal university courses, many young people maintain daily passive listening routines, produce vlog content, or attend online conversation sessions to refine their Japanese fluency.
Because so many local students want to practice Japanese while native Japanese arrivals and international students want to improve their Mandarin (or English), language exchange culture in Taipei is thriving:
Organized Meetups & Cafe Swaps: Venues and international community hubs across Taipei host weekly language exchange nights where participants split conversation time 50/50—usually 30 minutes of Mandarin followed by 30 minutes of Japanese or English.
Finding Partners via Apps & Social Media: Apps like Tandem and HelloTalk, alongside local Facebook groups and LINE channels dedicated to 日台交流 (Taiwan-Japan Exchange), make finding a 1-on-1 language partner effortless.
Co-Living Advantage: Living in an international shared space like Taiwan Share House creates a natural environment where Western, Japanese, and Taiwanese housemates practice languages casually over dinner or during weekend pre-games without needing formal classes!
If you want to experience authentic Japanese cuisine, vintage shopping, anime subcultures, or historical Japanese architecture on your weekends, add these six destinations to your itinerary:
Located right off the MRT Zhongshan Station, the historic Tiao Tong (條通) alleyways around Linsen North Road come alive at dusk with glowing red lanterns, traditional izakayas (居酒屋), yakitori stalls, and authentic ramen bars. It is the premier neighborhood for late-night food, casual beers with friends, and experiencing authentic Japanese hospitality.
Ximending is Taipei’s youth and pop-culture epicenter. Beyond the massive, multi-story Don Quijote (Don Don Donki) store open 24 hours a day for Japanese snacks and cosmetics, Ximending hosts major anime hubs like Animate Taipei, capsule toy arcades, and Japanese streetwear boutiques along its pedestrian plazas.
Tucked between Zhongshan and Shuanglian MRT stations, Chifeng Street blends industrial mechanics heritage with Japanese-style minimalism. It is packed with hand-pour coffee houses, Japanese retro clothing shops, indie record stores, and cozy dessert bars.
For a relaxed weekend afternoon, the leafy alleys around Yongkang Street and Qingtian Street feature traditional Japanese-style wooden homes converted into quiet tea salons, pottery galleries, and artisan bakeries.
Perched in the mountains of Ruifang with panoramic ocean views, Jiufen is one of Taiwan's most famous day-trip destinations. Developed during the Japanese era as a booming gold mining town, its narrow, stone-paved stairways, wooden teahouses (such as the iconic A-Mei Tea House), and glowing red lanterns heavily resemble the bathhouse town setting from Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece Spirited Away. It is a favorite weekend getaway for Japanese tourists and international students alike to enjoy taro balls, traditional tea ceremonies, and nostalgic mountain scenery.
Just a short ride on the MRT Red Line takes you to Beitou, Taipei’s historic hot spring district developed by the Japanese in 1896. Home to the Beitou Hot Spring Museum (housed in a 1913 Japanese-era public bathhouse) and traditional onsen resorts, it offers an authentic Japanese hot spring experience complete with tatami tea rooms, public bathhouses, and steaming thermal valleys right within the city limits.
Moving to a new city for university or a gap year is so much easier when you have an instant international community to share meals, practice languages, and explore festival weekends with! (台湾での留学やワーホリ生活を、国際感あふれるシェアハウスでスタートさせましょう！)
Taiwan Share House specializes in premium taipei co-living spaces and flexible off campus student housing taipei options designed specifically for university exchange arrivals, international students, Japanese working holiday makers, and global nomads
Why Students & Expats Choose Taiwan Share House:
Premier taipei student housing
Tailored specifically for exchange student housing taipei
Modern alternative to traditional student dorm taipei setups
