Atsuhiko Nakata (中田敦彦), one half of the comedy duo Oriental Radio and a popular YouTuber, and his wife, tarento Moe Fukuda (福田萌), have decided to move their family back to Japan after five years of living in Singapore, according to a report by Livedoor News.
Fukuda revealed the decision in what she described as the final installment of her personal essay series for the magazine FRaU, in which she has written about her family’s life abroad with their three children, a 12-year-old daughter and two sons aged 9 and 2. Livedoor News reported that Nakata told his wife he wanted to return because he felt he had \”come to understand Singapore well enough,\” a comment that led the family to make the decision together.
The news quickly spread on X (formerly Twitter), where it became a trending topic and drew a wide range of reactions. Many users discussed the financial side of the move, noting that Singapore’s corporate and income tax rates are considerably lower than Japan’s, which some said makes it an attractive place to build savings from work income before investing it back in Japan, where investment gains are taxed at a flat rate.
Other users focused on the practical challenges of long-term life in Singapore rather than taxes. Several pointed to Singapore’s national service requirement, under which male citizens and some permanent residents must serve about two years in the military, police, or civil defense force from age 18, followed by reserve training obligations until age 40 or 50. Commentators noted that if the family had held Singapore permanent residency, their sons could eventually have faced this obligation as they grew up, which some suggested may have influenced the decision to return. Others cited the weak yen and rising cost of living in Singapore, which some attributed in part to an influx of wealthy residents from Hong Kong pushing up housing costs, as additional strains on foreign families based there. Some users also referenced a Nikkei report noting that Singapore introduced a long-term, five-year visa category in 2023 requiring a monthly income of roughly 3 million yen (about 30,000 Singapore dollars), pointing to it as an example of the financial bar for maintaining long-term residency status in the country.
Beyond the confirmed decision to return and Nakata’s comment reported by Livedoor News, the specific reasons behind the move have not been detailed by the couple themselves; the tax, visa and conscription-related points circulating online represent commentary and speculation from social media users rather than statements from the family.
Who Are Atsuhiko Nakata and Moe Fukuda?
Atsuhiko Nakata (中田敦彦) is a member of the comedy duo Oriental Radio and has built a large following as a YouTuber, running a channel known for educational and commentary-style videos. Moe Fukuda (福田萌) is a tarento, or Japanese TV personality, who has also worked as an essayist, most recently chronicling her family’s life in Singapore in a long-running column for the magazine FRaU. The couple has three children, who are currently 12, 9, and 2 years old.
