If you are worn out by Tokyo's rents and prices, there is a realistic option: "Shizuoka plus Shinkansen commuting." Mishima to Shinagawa takes just under 40 minutes at the fastest, and Atami is roughly 40 to 50 minutes away. It is close enough to move without quitting your Tokyo job, yet the price level is 98.3 for Shizuoka against 104.0 for Tokyo, and the housing cost index shows a large gap of 93.7 versus 127.2 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2024). On top of that, if you relocate from the Tokyo area, there is a relocation support grant of ¥1,000,000 per household plus ¥1,000,000 for each child under 18, and Shizuoka City even offers its own housing subsidy of up to ¥4,000,000. From the appealing points to the realities — the specific grant requirements and repayment conditions — this article organizes it all based on official sources.
Appeal 1: A "Shinkansen commuting zone" less than an hour from Tokyo
From the Shinkansen stations in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, you can commute to central Tokyo without transfers. Approximate travel times are as follows.
| Station | Approx. time to Shinagawa/Tokyo | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Atami Station | Roughly 40–50 minutes | A seaside hot-spring resort. Conventional lines (Tokaido Line) also reach central Tokyo |
| Mishima Station | Just under 40 minutes to Shinagawa on the Kodama at the fastest | The classic choice for Shinkansen commuting. Many trains originate here, so seats are easier to get. The town center is close to the station |
| Shizuoka Station | About 1 hour on the Hikari | The prefectural capital with high everyday convenience. Daily life often works without a car |
The catch is the commuter pass cost. A Shinkansen commuter pass between Mishima and Tokyo runs around ¥90,000-plus per month, and any amount above your employer's commuting allowance cap comes out of your own pocket. That said, with a hybrid schedule of 2–3 office days a week, combining discount tickets and ticketless fares can often keep it in the tens of thousands of yen per month, so "commuting every day, or only a few days a week?" is the question that changes the answer — the key design point of a Shinkansen relocation. Some municipalities, like Nagaizumi Town, subsidize Shinkansen school-commute passes departing from JR Mishima Station up to ¥20,000 per month (for university students and other commuting students).
Appeal 2: The data gap in prices and housing costs is stark
Comparing the Regional Difference Index of Consumer Prices from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (2024, national average = 100) makes the difference clear.
| Index (national = 100) | Tokyo | Shizuoka Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 104.0 (highest in Japan for 12 consecutive years) | 98.3 (31st in Japan) |
| Housing | 127.2 (highest in Japan) | 93.7 |
The biggest driver of Tokyo's high prices is housing, and on that housing index Tokyo is about 1.36 times Shizuoka. With the same rent budget, that gap means a room one or two size classes larger. Compressing housing costs while keeping access to central-Tokyo jobs is the economic core of relocating within the Shinkansen zone. For a total-cost comparison against staying in Tokyo, see our detailed estimates in Tokyo vs. the regions: which is the better deal?
The main event: a relocation grant of ¥1,000,000 per household plus ¥1,000,000 per child
The relocation and employment support grant, run jointly by the national government and the prefecture and municipalities, is also available in Shizuoka Prefecture. The amounts are simple.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Relocating alone | ¥600,000 |
| Relocating as a household | ¥1,000,000 |
| Bringing children under 18 | Additional ¥1,000,000 per child |
Example: a couple with 2 children (both under 18) moving from Tokyo's 23 wards to Mishima City
¥1,000,000 per household + ¥1,000,000 child supplement × 2 = ¥3,000,000
Note: implementation status and any top-ups vary by municipality.
The main requirements are as follows.
- Where you are moving from: In the 10 years immediately before relocating, a cumulative total of 5 years or more — including at least 1 continuous year immediately before the move — of either "residing in Tokyo's 23 wards" or "residing in the Tokyo area (Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, excluding designated disadvantaged areas) while commuting to the 23 wards"
- Work: Meeting one of the employment requirements, such as taking a job listed on the prefecture's matching site, continuing telework (20 or more hours per week), or receiving a startup support grant decision (within 1 year). The key point is that a telework relocation where you keep your current job can also qualify
- Application deadline: Within 1 year of relocating (may differ by municipality)
- Budget: There is a budget cap for each fiscal year, and the prefecture explicitly advises consulting and applying early. If you are going to move, earlier in the fiscal year is advantageous
Are you eligible? OK and NG examples of the origin requirement
The test is "a cumulative 5 years or more within the last 10 years, plus at least 1 continuous year immediately before the move." Residence and commuting periods can be combined.
Examples that qualify
- Lived in Shinjuku Ward for 8 years, working at a company in Tokyo → clears the requirement via residence in the 23 wards
- Lived in Yokohama for 6 years, commuting to an office in the 23 wards → clears via Tokyo-area residence plus commuting to the 23 wards
- Lived in the 23 wards for 3 years → then moved to Kawasaki and commuted to the 23 wards for 3 years → clears with a cumulative 6 years
- Stays employed at a company in the 23 wards and moves to Shizuoka while working mainly by telework → the employment requirement can also be met via "continued telework"
Examples that do not qualify
- Lived in Yokohama for 10 years, but the workplace is also in Yokohama → no residence in or commuting to the 23 wards, so NG
- Lived in the 23 wards for only 4 years → falls short of the cumulative 5 years, so NG
- Moved from the 23 wards to Osaka a year ago, then from Osaka to Shizuoka → cannot meet "at least 1 continuous year immediately before the move," so NG
- Applying more than 1 year after relocating → past the application deadline (within 1 year of relocating, as a rule), so NG
The employment requirement: meet any one of 5 patterns
| Pattern | Main conditions |
|---|---|
| 1. Taking a job at a company in the prefecture | New employment in a "grant-eligible job posting" listed on the prefecture's matching site (basically indefinite-term employment of 20 or more hours per week). Leaving voluntarily within 1 year triggers repayment |
| 2. Continued telework | Relocating of your own volition — not on a transfer order from your employer — and continuing to work by telework 20 or more hours per week with your new home as your primary base of life |
| 3. Professional talent matching | Employment through the Professional Human Resources program or the pioneering talent-matching program |
| 4. Starting a business | Receiving a decision to grant the prefecture's startup support grant (up to ¥2,000,000; a separate program) within 1 year |
| 5. "Related population" | Meeting the municipality's own "related population" requirement (such as a track record of dual-base activity; the details vary by municipality) |
Repayment conditions (do not apply without reading this)
The relocation grant is not "get it and you are done." Moving out within 3 years means repaying the full amount; moving out after 3 years but within 5 years means repaying half. Those who qualified via the employment requirement must also repay in full if they leave the job within 1 year. This program is a poor match for a plan of "just living there for a couple of years."
For the overall grant system (eligible areas nationwide and its relationship with the startup support grant), see our relocation support grant guide.
Municipal top-ups: Shizuoka City's own housing subsidy of up to ¥4,000,000
Separate from the national grant, some municipalities have their own subsidies for newcomers. A leading example is Shizuoka City's "Relocator Housing Support Subsidy."
- Who qualifies: People relocating from outside Shizuoka Prefecture who are either under 40 (as of April 1 of the fiscal year of moving in) or supporting a household member under 18 (with conditions such as residing outside the prefecture for a cumulative 5 years or more in the last 10 years, including at least 1 continuous year immediately before the move)
- Eligible expenses: One of the following — building or purchasing a home; rental deposits, key money, agent fees, rent, and common-area charges (for 3 years from the month of moving in); or extension/renovation costs
- Subsidy amount: For moves from the Tokyo area, ¥600,000 for singles and ¥1,000,000 for households of 2 or more, plus ¥1,000,000 per child under 18, up to ¥4,000,000 (one half of eligible expenses; three quarters in designated districts). Moves from outside the Tokyo area also qualify at roughly half those levels
- Application: Within 18 months of the move-in date (applications accepted until March 31, 2027)
What makes it practical is that even for renters, "3 years of rent" counts as an eligible expense. The actual payment is the smaller of "one half of eligible expenses" and the cap.
Example 1: a couple with 1 child (from the Tokyo area) renting in Shizuoka City
- Cap: ¥1,000,000 per household + ¥1,000,000 for 1 child = ¥2,000,000
- Eligible expenses: rent ¥100,000 × 36 months = ¥3,600,000 + deposit, key money, and agent fees ¥300,000 = ¥3,900,000
- Half of expenses = ¥1,950,000 ≤ cap ¥2,000,000 → roughly ¥1,950,000 as the ballpark subsidy
Example 2: a couple with 3 children buying a ¥28,000,000 ready-built house
- Cap: ¥1,000,000 per household + ¥1,000,000 × 3 children = ¥4,000,000 (program maximum)
- Half of expenses = ¥14,000,000 > cap ¥4,000,000 → ¥4,000,000 as the ballpark subsidy
Note: these are illustrative calculations following the program's mechanics. Remaining budget, requirement fulfillment, and recognition of eligible expenses depend on Shizuoka City's review.
Top-up examples in other municipalities
| Municipality | Example programs | Approximate amounts |
|---|---|---|
| Shizuoka City | Vacant-house renovation subsidy / "Smile" newlywed life subsidy | Up to ¥2,000,000 / up to ¥800,000 |
| Fuji City | F-UJI Turn incentive (U-turn preference) / pioneering telework relocator subsidy | Up to ¥500,000 each |
| Mishima City, Fujinomiya City, Ito City, Yaizu City, Iwata City, etc. | Own programs for newlywed support, home purchase, startup support, and more | Roughly up to ¥300,000–¥600,000 |
| Nagaizumi Town | Subsidy for Shinkansen school-commute passes (from JR Mishima Station, for students) | Up to ¥20,000 per month |
Because municipal programs tend to change in content and budget each fiscal year and can close early, treat the amounts as rough guides and always check the latest status with each municipality's official website or relocation help desk. Whether they can be combined with the national relocation grant is also up to each municipality. Support for families with children varies widely by locality, so see also our nationwide child-rearing support guide.
The theoretical maximum: For a couple with 2 children moving from Tokyo's 23 wards to Shizuoka City and buying a home, the relocation grant of ¥3,000,000 (¥1,000,000 + ¥1,000,000 × 2) can stack with Shizuoka City's housing subsidy (capped at ¥3,000,000 = ¥1,000,000 + ¥1,000,000 × 2), for support that could reach roughly ¥6,000,000 in simple total. However, whether they can be combined, how overlapping expenses are adjusted, and the year's budget all depend on the city's review. We strongly recommend consulting the help desk before applying.
Who it does not suit — and the caveats, honestly
- People commuting daily with a small commuting allowance: Covering a ¥90,000-plus monthly pass out of pocket wipes out the rent savings. The first step is checking your employer's commuting allowance cap and remote work policy
- People likely to move back within a few years: The grant must be repaid in full if you move out within 3 years. Rather than carrying repayment risk, a lighter move without the grant can sometimes be the more rational choice
- The telework requirement demands "continuation": If your 20-plus hours of weekly telework breaks down (for example, changing jobs and returning to office commuting), you may no longer meet the requirement
- Some areas practically require a car: Outside walking distance of a station, car ownership costs (several hundred thousand yen a year) can offset the housing savings. Check the daily logistics of candidate areas in person
- Income: If you take a local job, wage levels in Shizuoka Prefecture are lower than in Tokyo. Economically, the most favorable setup is the telework or Shinkansen-commuting pattern — "keep the Tokyo salary and cut only the housing cost"
What to do today
What to do today
- Check your employer's commuting allowance cap and its telework/hybrid work policy (this largely decides whether a Shinkansen relocation works)
- On Shizuoka Prefecture's relocation portal, check the grant implementation status and help desks of your candidate municipalities
- For candidate stations (Atami, Mishima, Shizuoka), estimate rent levels and Shinkansen pass/discount ticket costs, and build a monthly comparison table against your current housing costs
FAQ
Q. If I keep my job at a Tokyo company and relocate to Shizuoka working mainly by telework, can I still get the grant?
A. Potentially, yes. The employment requirements for the relocation grant include "continuing telework of 20 or more hours per week," so relocating while keeping your Tokyo job can qualify if you meet the origin requirement (such as a cumulative 5 years or more of residence in or commuting to Tokyo's 23 wards within the last 10 years). Confirm the details with the help desk of your destination municipality.
Q. What happens if circumstances change after receiving the grant and I move back to Tokyo after 2 years?
A. Moving out within 3 years means repaying the full amount; moving out after 3 years but within 5 years means repaying half. Those who qualified via the employment requirement must also repay in full if they leave the job within 1 year. Plan on the assumption of living there for 5 years.
Q. Can I receive both the national relocation grant and Shizuoka City's housing subsidy?
A. They are separate programs, so in theory they coexist, but whether they can be combined and how they are adjusted is up to the city. Be sure to check with Shizuoka City's relocation and settlement office before applying. Both have limited budgets each fiscal year.
Q. How is the "cumulative 5 years" in the origin requirement counted? Is it OK if I moved during that time?
A. Within the 10 years immediately before relocating, it is enough if your periods of "residing in the 23 wards" and "residing in the Tokyo area while commuting to the 23 wards" add up to 5 years or more (for example, 3 years living in the 23 wards + 3 years living in Kawasaki while commuting to the 23 wards = 6 years cumulative). In addition, you need at least 1 continuous qualifying year immediately before the move. The determination is made from resident records and certificates of employment, so for borderline cases, the surest approach is to describe your history to the destination municipality's help desk in advance.
Q. Will my employer cover the Shinkansen commuter pass?
A. It depends on your employer's rules. Any amount above the commuting allowance cap (often a few tens of thousands of yen a month) is your own expense. Note that the tax-free limit for commuting allowances is ¥150,000 per month, so if your employer pays it in full, even a Shinkansen pass is in principle tax-free.
References (sources)
Note: Grant implementation, amounts, and requirements vary by municipality and fiscal year. Travel times and pass prices are approximate. Always confirm the latest information with each local government's help desk or official website before applying.