Embassies North America

Japan is represented in North America by two embassies, in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, by four Consulates-General in Canada and by 14 Consulates-General and three Consular Offices in the United States. Every office serves a fixed area, and both visa applicants and Japanese citizens have to use the one responsible for their home address. This overview lists all of them with the addresses published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) and explains what they do.

What the Embassies and Consulates Do

The embassies handle political, economic and security relations with the national governments. The consulates deal with people:

• Visas for Japan: U.S. and Canadian citizens do not need a visa for tourism or short business trips of up to 90 days. They do need one for work, study, long-term stays or as the spouse of a Japanese national, usually based on a Certificate of Eligibility issued by Japan’s immigration agency.
• Services for Japanese citizens: passport renewals, certificates of residence and signature, family register (koseki) notifications of births, marriages and deaths, overseas voting registration, and help after accidents, arrests or natural disasters.
• Culture and exchange: lectures, film screenings, Japanese language events, school programs and the recruitment of participants for the JET Programme, which places English teachers and coordinators in Japanese schools and local governments.
• Economic ties: support for the Japanese companies that run plants across the Midwest, the South and Ontario, and for local investment in Japan.

Canada

Japan opened its first consulate in Canada in Vancouver in 1889 and a legation in Ottawa in 1928. The present embassy was established on April 28, 1952, the day the San Francisco Peace Treaty entered into force. Today there are four Consulates-General: Vancouver serves British Columbia, Calgary the Prairie provinces, Toronto most of Ontario and Montreal Quebec. Each mission’s website shows the exact boundaries.

United States

The first Japanese diplomatic delegation to the United States arrived in 1860 to exchange the ratified Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The embassy’s chancery on Massachusetts Avenue’s Embassy Row dates from 1931. The jurisdictions below follow the official map published by the consulates.

Addresses and phone numbers as published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and by the missions themselves. Opening hours, appointment rules and visa counters differ from office to office; check the official website of the mission before you go.

Applying for a Japanese Visa in the U.S. or Canada

1. Check whether a visa is needed. Visa-free entry for up to 90 days covers tourism, conferences, business meetings and visits to relatives, but not paid work.
2. Identify the consulate for your home address using the jurisdictions above. Residents who are not U.S. or Canadian citizens need proof of legal residence, such as a green card or Canadian permanent resident card.
3. Prepare the application form, a passport photo, your passport and the supporting documents for your purpose of stay. For long-term visas the key document is the Certificate of Eligibility, which your employer, school or spouse in Japan requests from the Immigration Services Agency.
4. Submit the application in person or by mail as the consulate specifies. Some consulates take visa applications only by appointment.
5. Before flying, register immigration and customs information on Visit Japan Web to get QR codes for arrival.

For Japanese Citizens Living in North America

Japanese nationals who stay three months or longer must file an Overseas Residential Registration with the consulate covering their address, which can be done online through ORRnet. Many consulates hold mobile consular services in cities far from their offices, where residents can renew passports or obtain certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Japanese consulate do I belong to?

The one responsible for the state or province where you live, regardless of where you work or which consulate is closest. The New York consulate, for example, serves Pennsylvania, while most of Connecticut belongs to Boston.

Do Americans need a visa for Japan?

Not for tourist or short business stays of up to 90 days. A visa is required for work, study, long stays and spouse or dependent status.

Where is the Japanese consulate in Detroit now?

At 1000 Woodward Avenue, Suite 620, in downtown Detroit since March 23, 2026.

Is there a Japanese consulate in Texas?

Yes. The Consulate-General in Houston serves Texas and Oklahoma.