Tips for solo travel in Japan
Solo travel is safe and common in Japan, even for females. There are many establishments that have catered to the rising trend of solo traveling in recent years, from entertainment to accommodations.
Entertainment
Besides shopping, there are many other activities for solo travelers. For those who like cats, cat cafe would be the place to go! Not just cute, the cats are very tame and well-trained.
Of course, other karaoke chains would also let you in if you come alone. It is just that the equipment at Ichikara is better, like those in a recording studio. It is for people who are serious about karaoke! However, it is also slightly more costly than the usual karaoke parlors.
For those who like to soak in hot spring, there are many choices to choose from, from small but atmospheric Sento (traditional communal bathhouse) in the neighborhood, to Higaeri Onsen (daytime hot spring facilities) and Super Sento (modern bathhouse with spa facilities) in town. At Super Sento, you could eat, sleep, shop, watch TV, read comics, enjoy massage, sauna, etc. Famous chains include Manyo Club and Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Some hot spring facilities have delicious food, such as Tokinoirodori, while others have panoramic sea views, such as Yokosuka Hot Spring Yura-no-sato.
*Google image
For those short of time, there are also establishments that combine ashiyu (foot baths), cafe and massage in town, such as Hogushiya Honpo Riraku in Shinjuku and Mominoki House Dogenzaka in Shibuya.
Transportation
For drivers, traveling solo simply means nobody to share car rental cost and take over the wheel when you are tired. For non-drivers, other than taking public transport, you may want to consider signing up for local bus tours. This is especially useful for hard to reach places in the rural areas and for seasonal views/activities such as fruit picking. A full-day tour usually cost around 11,000 yen. Judging from experience, almost all tours allow 1-pax sign-up. Some multi-day tours with accommodations may not allow, or require a higher fee. There are also tours for solo travelers only!
The local tour agencies include JTB, HIS and Yomiuri. (Foreign agencies include Klook and KKday.) Some have reservation webpages in English and provide English written information during the tour. However, there are usually more tour choices available on the Japanese webpages. In any case, even if it ends up to be an all-Japanese tour, as long as you get the meeting time and location right for every stopover, it would be fine!
Dining
Solo diners would fit in most at the following places:
-Fast food restaurants (Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Coco Ichibanya, etc.)
-Ramen shops
-Conveyor belt sushi and standing sushi bars (more often than not, you would be able to enter faster than those who come in pairs/groups)
-Cafe (Japanese-western food)
Lately, more and more restaurants are targeting solo diners, even for Yakiniku and Shabu-shabu. There are even bars that allow entry only if you come alone!
Accommodation
For accommodation, those on budget can consider hostels, capsule hotels or manga cafes. For females, several capsule hotels and hostels have female-only floors. But these are mostly available in the cities only.
If you have slightly more budget or visiting suburban areas, Japanese business hotel chains such as Toyoko Inn, Dormy Inn, Route Inn, APA Hotel, Super Hotel, etc., would be the most straight-forward option, because they have single rooms (usually 12 or 14 sqm) and prices are reasonable (around 8000 yen).
Most ryokan/minshuku do not accept bookings for one person, especially those with limited rooms or have high demand. Some accept, but charge slightly more (ie 20,000 for one person, 30,000 for two persons).
Conclusion
In general, the advantages of traveling solo include freedom of doing/eating whatever you want, not worrying about how a problem you/others have would affect others/you (the chronically late, fussy-eater, shopaholic, skinflint, snorer, etc.), not worrying about the need to constantly have things to talk about (usually the case with not-so-close friends), efficiency (easier to get single seats in restaurants and trains, less time spent on decision-making).
The disadvantages would be spending more on accommodations and transportation (notably taxis), unable to try more food (but also less worry of overeating), and perhaps loneliness for some people. However, this could easily be resolved by interacting with travelers and locals you meet during the trip, which is often more fun and inspiring than only interacting with that one person you are traveling with.
For female solo travelers, if you do not want strangers (especially guys) to approach you, simply wear a mask. It is basically the sign for "do not disturb". Also try to take the female-only train carriages during rush hours.
So the next time you feel like embarking on a solo trip, do consider Japan! Thanks to its safety (natural disasters aside) and generally nice locals, you will likely have a good time.
Entertainment
Besides shopping, there are many other activities for solo travelers. For those who like cats, cat cafe would be the place to go! Not just cute, the cats are very tame and well-trained.
For those who love to sing, there is Ichikara, a karaoke chain for solo karaoke, with songs in various languages. Here, you do not have to be embarrassed of your own singing, need to fight for the microphone, nor scream into the microphone to cover the voice of that friend who cannot stop chatting.
Of course, other karaoke chains would also let you in if you come alone. It is just that the equipment at Ichikara is better, like those in a recording studio. It is for people who are serious about karaoke! However, it is also slightly more costly than the usual karaoke parlors.
For those who like to soak in hot spring, there are many choices to choose from, from small but atmospheric Sento (traditional communal bathhouse) in the neighborhood, to Higaeri Onsen (daytime hot spring facilities) and Super Sento (modern bathhouse with spa facilities) in town. At Super Sento, you could eat, sleep, shop, watch TV, read comics, enjoy massage, sauna, etc. Famous chains include Manyo Club and Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Some hot spring facilities have delicious food, such as Tokinoirodori, while others have panoramic sea views, such as Yokosuka Hot Spring Yura-no-sato.
For those short of time, there are also establishments that combine ashiyu (foot baths), cafe and massage in town, such as Hogushiya Honpo Riraku in Shinjuku and Mominoki House Dogenzaka in Shibuya.
Transportation
For drivers, traveling solo simply means nobody to share car rental cost and take over the wheel when you are tired. For non-drivers, other than taking public transport, you may want to consider signing up for local bus tours. This is especially useful for hard to reach places in the rural areas and for seasonal views/activities such as fruit picking. A full-day tour usually cost around 11,000 yen. Judging from experience, almost all tours allow 1-pax sign-up. Some multi-day tours with accommodations may not allow, or require a higher fee. There are also tours for solo travelers only!
The local tour agencies include JTB, HIS and Yomiuri. (Foreign agencies include Klook and KKday.) Some have reservation webpages in English and provide English written information during the tour. However, there are usually more tour choices available on the Japanese webpages. In any case, even if it ends up to be an all-Japanese tour, as long as you get the meeting time and location right for every stopover, it would be fine!
Dining
Solo diners would fit in most at the following places:
-Fast food restaurants (Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Coco Ichibanya, etc.)
-Ramen shops
-Conveyor belt sushi and standing sushi bars (more often than not, you would be able to enter faster than those who come in pairs/groups)
-Cafe (Japanese-western food)
Lately, more and more restaurants are targeting solo diners, even for Yakiniku and Shabu-shabu. There are even bars that allow entry only if you come alone!
Accommodation
For accommodation, those on budget can consider hostels, capsule hotels or manga cafes. For females, several capsule hotels and hostels have female-only floors. But these are mostly available in the cities only.
If you have slightly more budget or visiting suburban areas, Japanese business hotel chains such as Toyoko Inn, Dormy Inn, Route Inn, APA Hotel, Super Hotel, etc., would be the most straight-forward option, because they have single rooms (usually 12 or 14 sqm) and prices are reasonable (around 8000 yen).
Most ryokan/minshuku do not accept bookings for one person, especially those with limited rooms or have high demand. Some accept, but charge slightly more (ie 20,000 for one person, 30,000 for two persons).
Conclusion
In general, the advantages of traveling solo include freedom of doing/eating whatever you want, not worrying about how a problem you/others have would affect others/you (the chronically late, fussy-eater, shopaholic, skinflint, snorer, etc.), not worrying about the need to constantly have things to talk about (usually the case with not-so-close friends), efficiency (easier to get single seats in restaurants and trains, less time spent on decision-making).
The disadvantages would be spending more on accommodations and transportation (notably taxis), unable to try more food (but also less worry of overeating), and perhaps loneliness for some people. However, this could easily be resolved by interacting with travelers and locals you meet during the trip, which is often more fun and inspiring than only interacting with that one person you are traveling with.
For female solo travelers, if you do not want strangers (especially guys) to approach you, simply wear a mask. It is basically the sign for "do not disturb". Also try to take the female-only train carriages during rush hours.
So the next time you feel like embarking on a solo trip, do consider Japan! Thanks to its safety (natural disasters aside) and generally nice locals, you will likely have a good time.
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