Safe to drink. Based on the national picture for Japan and local conditions.
Can you…
Can you drink the tap water in Tokyo?
Last reviewed 2026 · Japan
Tokyo scores 92/100 for tap-water safety — safe to drink. So if you’re asking whether the tap water is safe in Tokyo, the short answer is “safe to drink.” Scores above 70 mean tap water is generally safe to drink. 40–69 means treat it with caution — filtering or bottled water is wise. Below 40 means it’s best avoided straight from the tap.
Ice, brushing your teeth & cooking: what’s safe in Tokyo?
- Drinkable?
- Yes — tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet.
- Brush teeth?
- Yes — brushing your teeth with tap water is perfectly fine.
- Ice?
- Yes — ice made from tap water is safe.
- Cooking?
- Yes — cooking and rinsing produce with tap water is safe.
Should you boil the tap water in Tokyo?
You don't need to boil the tap water in Tokyo — it's treated to a high standard and safe to drink as-is. Boiling only matters if you're on a private well or during a local boil-water advisory. More on what boiling does and doesn’t remove.
Do you need bottled water or a filter in Tokyo?
Bottled water is a preference, not a necessity, in Tokyo — the tap water is safe and far cheaper. A refillable bottle is the greener, cheaper choice.
A filter isn't needed for safety in Tokyo; some people use a simple carbon filter purely to improve taste or reduce chlorine smell.
How Tokyo compares to the rest of Japan
There’s no separate official water-quality feed for Tokyo, so its rating tracks the national picture for Japan, which scores 92/100. Conditions in a specific neighbourhood, hotel, or older building can still differ from the city as a whole.
Common questions about tap water in Tokyo
Can you drink tap water in Tokyo?+
Tokyo scores 92/100 on our water-safety index — safe to drink. Yes — tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet.
Is it safe to brush your teeth with tap water in Tokyo?+
Yes — brushing your teeth with tap water is perfectly fine.
Is ice safe to use in drinks in Tokyo?+
Yes — ice made from tap water is safe.
Is tap water in Tokyo safe for cooking?+
Yes — cooking and rinsing produce with tap water is safe.
Data & sources
City-level tap-water safety isn’t published as a single official global dataset, so the Tokyo score is derived from Japan’s national water-safety assessment together with CDC traveler guidance. For the full country picture and its official sources, see tap water in Japan.
Read the full methodology — how the 0–100 score is built and what it does (and doesn’t) mean.