{"id":21367,"date":"2017-08-10T02:57:14","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T16:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=21367"},"modified":"2025-03-14T21:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:29:28","slug":"japan-solo-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/japan-solo-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"What it’s like to travel in Japan as a solo traveller"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 4pm in Tokyo and I\u2019m deep underground, a puzzled expression on my face. I peer at my map with its colour-coded tangle of lines, trying to navigate the Japanese capital\u2019s complex subway system. With a hefty suitcase by my side and a backpack full to bursting, I\u2019m desperately trying not to look like a lost tourist \u2013 but I\u2019m failing. On the platform, a young lad in school uniform spots my confusion and asks me in English if I need help. \u201cYou look lost, let me help you,\u201d he says with a smile, before pointing me in the right direction.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is not the only time I experienced help from a total stranger during my two-week trip to Japan<\/a><\/strong>. On a separate occasion, I asked a man for directions to Shinjuku Gyoen, a beautiful park in central Tokyo. The man took 10 minutes out of his day to walk me right to the gates. Another local, instead of simply saying \u2018sorry\u2019 and turning away, took out her phone and translated Japanese to English to give me information on a museum opening time.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a willingness to help I\u2019ve rarely experienced in other countries \u2013 and just one of the reasons that the country is so good for solo travel, and in particular, for solo female travel.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Benemac<\/p><\/div>\n

I travel a lot on my own, but I was still slightly nervous about heading to Japan solo. Its language, culture and food are all completely alien from anything I\u2019m used to, so I knew I was heading out of my comfort zone.<\/p>\n

I needn’t have worried. For starters, Japan is the safest country in Asia \u2013 and one of the safest in the world \u2013 according to the Global Peace Index. During my trip, I spotted a group of women in Tokyo who left their bags at a table as they went to order coffee \u2013 presumably safe in the knowledge that the country benefits from very low levels of crime. And yet, clearly it\u2019s wise not to be lulled into a false sense of security, but to take the normal precautions you would at home.<\/p>\n

\"japan<\/a>Travelling as a female in Japan is rewarding \u2013 and it\u2019s getting easier. There are now several train companies that have introduced women-only carriages, while some hotels, hostels and ryokan (Japanese inns) are also female-only.<\/p>\n

Of course, one of the best things about solo travel is that you get to experience the world on your own terms. It\u2019s just you, away from your everyday life, meeting new people and having fascinating experiences in fresh surroundings. Travelling alone also gives you the opportunity to indulge whatever interest you might have, whether that\u2019s touring the country by bicycle or a particular restaurant you want to visit.<\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL INSPO, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not used to travelling on your tod, a great way to warm up to it is to head to a restaurant. Eating on your own is totally normal in Japan, particularly in ramen bars and \u2018izakaya\u2019, which are like the Japanese version of a gastropub.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Benemac<\/p><\/div>\n

On my first day in Japan, in Osaka, I joined locals in a ramen bar across from my hotel at lunchtime. Slipping onto the counter next to a line of office workers, I watched the way they huddled over their bowls and deftly slurped the steaming noodles. With no companion to distract me from taking the scene in, or to embarrass with my table manners, I gave it a go \u2013 and left with broth all over my chin but a newfound determination to master the skill.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0A LOCAL\u2019S GUIDE TO VISITING JAPAN ON A BUDGET<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, you don\u2019t have to be on your own for long as a solo traveller. Alone, you are more approachable and it\u2019s easier to make new friends. I joined Intrepid\u2019s new 14-day Cycle Japan<\/a> <\/strong>trip with six other holidaymakers, all of us keen to explore the country in a more adventurous way \u2013 on two wheels \u2013 than your average journey by coach and train.<\/p>\n

By day we were unified as a group \u2013 pedalling past some of Japan\u2019s most beautiful and varied landscapes all together like an overexcited peloton. And yet, come the evening or during free time, it was easy for me to slip off on my own to sip sake with the locals at an izakaya, glimpsing a side to the culture that you only see when alone, observing and listening, your senses more alert than in a group scenario. It was the best of both worlds. On the one hand, I was sharing my experiences with like-minded travellers who, like me, wanted to see Japan by bike. On the other, I was alone, free to set my own schedule at my own pace and, ultimately, able to get a richer understanding of the extraordinary country I found myself in.<\/p>\n

WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE CYCLING FROM FROM OSAKA TO TOKYO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Credit: Benemac<\/p><\/div>\n

Tips for solo female travellers in Japan:<\/h2>\n