Tokyo · Dining
RisingGood ramen spots in Shibuya for Friday night?
3 community replies · 中文 / EN
Local life · city community
MachiFind the echoes of real life in every city.
You get to know a city through the people who live there. Housing, jobs, secondhand, meetups, events — plus a Machi AI that knows Japan — sorted by your city and language, all in one place.
Get Japan right first. The next stop can wait.
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Tokyo · Language Exchange
HotLooking for Japanese-English exchange near Shibuya.
12 replies · EN / 日本語
Tokyo · Housing
TrustedWhat should I avoid when renting in Shinjuku?
28 answers · 中文
Languages
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Social scenes
DiningMeetupsHousingLanguage ExchangeEvents
I just moved near Shibuya — any good ramen spots?
Any local events this weekend?
Why Machi
Experience only counts in the right place, at the right time.
A piece of advice means something only with its city, its moment, its people attached. Machi keeps all of that together.
Advice in group chats
It arrives quickly and disappears just as fast. A few days later, the useful message can be nearly impossible to find.
Posts on social platforms
Often helpful, but the city, date, and personal circumstances may be missing, making the advice hard to apply.
Classified listings
Useful for finding a home, job, or item, but rarely show the experience or conversation behind the listing.
Search results
There is no shortage of answers, but old and new information mix together and may not fit your language or location.
Local review apps
Strong on venues, ratings, and bookings; less suited to ongoing questions and mutual help between residents.
Machi
Machi organizes information and people by city, language, and everyday need. You can find specific local content and answers grounded in real experience nearby.
City & language
Channels & context
Experience & trust
Local community
Someone in the city has probably faced the same question.
How to read a lease, which paperwork comes first, what is happening nearby this weekend. An answer becomes useful when it comes with a real place and context.
Keep local experience close to the people who need it.
Local groups
Dinner togetherCoffee & chatWeekend plansSportsLanguage exchangeCity walksMutual helpNewcomer support
TokyoDining · LanguagesOsakaHousing · JobsKyotoStays · Walks
Someone asks
Working near Umeda, Osaka — which area is easy to commute from?
Someone answers
Two years in Fukushima ward. Happy to break down rent and the commute.
Someone connects
Sunday walk along the Kamo river. Slow pace, good talk — three spots left.
This weekHappening now
- Any good Japanese classes in Yokohama?12 replies
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City channels
What you're looking for is in its own channel.
Housing, secondhand, jobs, events, Q&A, and local services each have a clear channel, organized by city and language. No digging through chat history. No mixing cities.
City Info
News, guides, Q&A and services for understanding everyday life in a city.
News
Local news, policy updates, transport alerts and safety reminders.
Local alerts
Guides
Job hunting, study, housing, visas, banking and paperwork — Japan guide now live.
Life tips
Q&A
Questions about visas, housing, work, school and healthcare.
Local help
Services
Restaurant bookings, travel tickets, airport pickup, translation, moving, cleaning and utility setup.
Daily needs
Trade & opportunity
Housing, secondhand, jobs, hiring and service leads.
Housing
Listings, sublets, shared homes, roommates and housing warnings.
Rentals
Secondhand
Used goods, requests, moving sales and free giveaways.
Local resale
Jobs
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Careers
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Local merchants, companies and organizations post hiring needs.
Open roles
Social & Offline
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Social
Public city topics, local groups, interest communities and mutual help.
City topics
Groups
Food meetups, event groups, sports groups, language exchange and weekend community posts.
Local
Dining
Meals, coffee, restaurant visits, food groups and city food discussions.
Tables
Events
Exhibitions, city walks, classes, board games, sports and local gatherings.
Offline
Language Exchange
Chinese, English, Japanese and multilingual learning groups.
Languages
Avoid
Housing, transaction, hiring, meetup and offline safety tips.
Local warnings
Machi Guide
A clearer way through life in Japan.
Bank accounts, phone plans, pension, city-office paperwork. Study, careers, JLPT. Machi Guide walks through the steps people actually face, with useful services close at hand.
Next regions: Canada · Australia · United Kingdom · France · Germany · South Korea · United States
Japan Life
Bank accounts, mobile plans, pension, insurance, city office procedures, housing and part-time work
Study in Japan
Graduate school, vocational schools, research plans, professor outreach and application materials
Career in Japan
Resume, rirekisho, ES, interviews, company selection and visa change
JLPT
JLPT N5-N1, vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening and study materials
Japan School Directory
Universities, graduate schools, vocational schools and language schools
Foreigner-friendly Companies
Company profiles, industries, roles, interview reviews and job-search references
Materials & Services
Digital resources, templates, checklists, translation, airport pickup, procedure support and application coaching
Machi AI · Assistant
Stuck in Japan? Ask Machi AI first.
Ask in Chinese, Japanese, or English. Machi AI draws on Machi's school library, company library, and guides to walk you through residence procedures, housing, study, and work — step by step.
- Knows life in Japan: residence, city hall, housing, work, insurance
- Grounded answers: built on Machi guides, schools & companies
- Trilingual: 中文 · 日本語 · English, switch anytime
Machi AIBeta
Machi AI · AssistantMy residence card is expiring — how do I renew it?
You can apply up to 3 months before expiry. Bring your residence card, passport, a photo, and the renewal application to your regional immigration office; students also need proof of enrollment, workers proof of employment. Book early and avoid the month-end rush.
From Machi guides
Languages
Living in the same city does not mean speaking the same language.
Interface and content languages are chosen separately. Read Chinese experiences in Tokyo, search local information in Japanese, or stay in English throughout.
简体中文繁體中文English日本語한국어 (soon)Français (soon)
Discovery context
Language-aware discovery
Current region
Japan · Osaka
Content language
Chinese
Shown first
- 1Chinese content in Osaka
- 2Chinese content in Kansai
- 3Noteworthy Chinese content across Machi
- 4Relevant Osaka content in other languages
A note from the founder
I'm Yao Kai.I built Machi because I started from zero in Japan myself.
When I first arrived, the answers to housing, paperwork, job-hunting, and exams were scattered across group chats and posts, the outdated and the irrelevant all mixed in. What Machi is trying to do is simple: gather it in one place, by city and language, so the people who come next take fewer wrong turns.
Safety
Before you meet, rent, or trade, get the boundaries clear.
From public conversations to in-person meetups, from housing and secondhand to hiring. Risk prompts, reporting, blocking, review, and account action give every interaction firmer ground.
Social safety
Do not share your address, ID or financial details too early. Report or block harassment, scams and offensive content.
Meetup safety
Meet in public first, tell a friend where you are going and keep communication records.
Housing safety
Do not prepay unverified landlords. Check addresses, contracts and identities. Watch for below-market listings.
Secondhand safety
Trade in public places, inspect high-value items in person and avoid large deposits.
Jobs & hiring safety
Never pay job deposits. Check company websites, addresses and contacts. Beware high pay that asks for money first.
Report and block
Reporting, blocking, review, takedowns and account limits form the enforcement flow.
1Report
2Review
3Block
4Remove
5Limit
Business
Trusted local services, right when you need them.
Verified businesses and service providers publish services, offers, jobs, and events in the right city, channel, and language. People can see who is behind a listing and what it solves.
- Restaurant offers and dining events
- Language-school trial classes and exchange groups
- Local participant recruitment for events
- Interest groups for gyms and classes
- Qualified leads for local services
- Hiring within the city community
Business console
Tokyo partner campaign
Restaurant offers and dining events
Verified business
Language school trial classes
Service content
Local hiring and service leads
City channel
Verified local partner
Verification details, service content, city reach, order leads and channel operations.
FAQ
A few things worth knowing about Machi.
What is Machi?
Machi organizes the practical parts of city life by place and language: guides, Q&A, housing, secondhand, jobs, hiring, local services, groups, events, and first-hand advice.
Is Machi a dating app?
No. Machi is built for public city topics and community participation, including local groups, language exchange, and events. It does not provide dating matches, private introductions, or paid companionship.
Is Machi only for Japan?
No. We are starting with Japan and doing it properly, then expanding to other countries as real demand and local readiness grow.
What is Machi Guide?
The Japan guide brings together practical information on daily life, school applications, job hunting, JLPT, schools, companies, downloadable resources, and related services.
Which cities can I use it in?
All Japanese cities work today, with Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Yokohama content filling in first. International cities will open gradually, with each city's status shown clearly.
Can I use Machi in my language?
Yes. Interface language and content language are separate. Chinese, English, and Japanese come first, with more languages added where a city needs them.
Can businesses join?
Yes. Stores, service providers, recruiters, housing businesses, event organizers, and education partners can apply for verification or partnership. Verification does not guarantee exposure or results.
Can I post housing, jobs, or secondhand items?
Yes. Posts must be accurate, clear, and lawful. Depending on the content, they may be reviewed, carry a risk notice, or be reported by users.
How does Machi support user safety?
Reporting, blocking, review, verification, and risk prompts are built into posts, messages, in-person activities, housing, secondhand exchange, hiring, and local services.
Is Machi a study-abroad agency?
No. The Japan guide covers study, careers, and daily life, and some services may be bookable. Machi as a whole is a platform for navigating life in a city.
Do paid services guarantee an outcome?
No. Admissions, employment, visas, housing, banking, and other outcomes depend on your circumstances, documents, third parties, and local rules.
Can I delete my account?
Yes. You can manage your profile and request account deletion. Public posts may already have been viewed or responded to before deletion.
Can I download the app now?
Yes. The iOS app is on the App Store, free to download, and the web app works in your browser. Android is in development — we'll announce the date here.
How can I contact Machi?
For partnerships, press, business applications, city suggestions, or privacy questions, email hi@machicity.com.
Live on iOS and the web
Now, open your city.
Three languages. Free to start.
Android is in development — we'll announce it here.