Dear glorious members of this forum,

For the past years I wanted to go to Japan during the summer. Each year I hoped a friend of mine (who went a few times) would take me when he goes, but unfortunatly that never worked out. Because of my dependence on my friend I wasnt able to go the past few years.

So it seems that if I really want to go I have to do it alone. So far dependin on others to join me or to follow only hinders the possibility of actually going so far.

But here is the thing I never traveled on my own and neither do I know anyone in Japan, nor do know how to manage on my own during vacation in Japan.

So I thought maybe someone here with similiar thoughts,expriences could advice me what the best way is on how to aproach this?

Thank you for you time and attention.

Some people are more comfortable traveling alone, and some are more comfortable in groups. I'm more comfortable traveling alone. I've been all over the world by myself, so it's not a big deal for me now. (At first it was a little intimidating, but I refocused that initial fear into excitement, and it worked out well.)

If you want to get better at traveling alone, then maybe try doing it small-scale first. Travel alone in your own country a bit, and see how you like it. Observe what sorts of problems crop up, and think of ways to handle them better next time. If you find you really hate it, then find a group tour and go to Japan in a group. Otherwise, level up your solo traveling skill a little before going there.

If you speak some Japanese and can read some, your trip will be far more interesting, in my opinion. But even if you don't, it's still a fun place with a lot to do-- it's just going to be harder to do it.

This website has a lot of really good info that has helped me out on a number of trips to Japan: http://www.japan-guide.com/

I see what you are trying to say, but I live in a small country where everything is closeby so I never got the traveling alone exprience, its not that I hate group tours but they are exteremly expensive (for Japan) and lot of the time not worth it (due their price and length)

Look I know Japan is the most safest country in the world and it isnt rocket science ( i think) but I have zero-exprience in traveling alone and I want to know how to aproach this. Like do you book everything beforehand or do you look for a place to sleep when you arrive? and how do you manage not getting lost in a huge city like tokyo for example?

Also what about the loniliness you exprience by traveling alone? doenst that kind of go to your head after quite a while? or am I mistaken about that?

Don't go in summer T_T

Definitely book things beforehand! If you're not used to travelling alone, you need that security of knowing where you'll be sleeping every night (in my opinion). Plus, if you just wander into places they might not have vacancies for you.

If you're worried about cost, you can look at hostels. Here's a nice one I stayed in at Takayama and really recommend: http://j-hoppers.com/

I don't really get lonely travelling by myself, but it seems like many people combat that feeling by staying in hostels, where there is usually a common room in which you can mingle with other guests. The atmosphere is different from a hotel, where all guests usually keep to themselves.

Just my two cents. Hope it helps a little.

^ Sometimes overplanning can be more stressful than underplanning - you have a schedule you HAVE to stick to, you don't get to go explore and let things happen.

I traveled for the first time in my life to Japan, all alone, this past summer of '14. It was an amazing experience and I'm glad I did it alone because it gave me greater flexibility and let me meet new people and make new friends, both Japanese and international.

Hostels! Definitely stay at hostels. Not only are they cheap, but they're full of other travelers and usually have a great, social atmosphere. I found travel buddies at hostels and we'd go explore the city together for a day or two before one of us left the city. Through that I was able to see Japan AND make friends all over the world.

Couchsurfing! I cannot recommend couchsurfing enough. Couchsurfing is a program where you stay with a stranger (sleeping on their spare couch, or whatever they have to offer) for free. You're the "surfer" and they're the "host." Often times, your host will go with you during the day and show you the city as well. I met the most amazing, adventurous, generous, kind people through couchsurfing in Japan. I found it was also a great way to make friends with Japanese people, since I met only other foreigners at hostels. Japan's culture isn't really one for couchsurfing so it's harder to find hosts in Japan than it is in other countries, but start looking early and send lots of messages, and you'll find somebody. I couldn't find anyone to host me in Tokyo, but I chatted with Tokyo couchsurfers and met up with them for dinner or to go to some attraction.

So you can travel by yourself, and still travel with friends! You will meet so many wonderful people. Travel can be stressful sometimes, there will be problems beyond your control, but take those times in stride. I found that whenever I had a problem it made me reach out for help, and through that I met some of the most wonderful people I know. Bad things lead to good things.

Do lots of research, get lots of ideas for things to do, but leave your schedule a little open, I say. I ended up cancelling about half my plans after I got to Japan and re-arranging everything because I wanted to hang out with hostel friends more, or they'd told me of this awesome thing in Hiroshima so I had to go travelling there more, etc.

Also...Japan is hot as all hell in summer. It does not ruin the experience, you just can't do anything outdoors. There's a lot of wonderful hiking places in Japan (Miyajima by Hiroshima is one of the highlights of my trip, so amazingly beautiful) which the hot weather makes miserable (but still possible! I just hiked Miyajima in the morning before it was at full heat). I collapsed of heat wave twice. Like seriously, Japan is dangerously hot and disgustingly humid. So, if you can, spring/fall over summer. But either way you'll have an amazing time.

Do it!

Hmm... tough questions.

Planning: I never nail everything down, because then my trip can't move. I may be having a great time somewhere, and want an extra day. If everything is carved in stone beforehand, I can't do it.

It's impossible to see "all of Japan" in just one trip, so don't worry about it.

But make sure you see the things you REALLY want to see/do. That's kind of how I look at it. If my plane goes down into the ocean on the way home, would I be thinking, "Crap! I would have gone to ____ if I knew I was going to bite it on the way home!"

BUT, there are times/places where you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO get a hotel/place to crash well in advance. Kyoto/Osaka is the worst about that. Kyoto in November/December can be a nightmare to get rooms in, because all of Japan goes to Kyoto to see the leaves turn red. It's really pretty, but really freakin' crowded.

The last-ditch alternative is always a computer or manga cafe, which is like a hotel and a lot of people use them as hotels. (And some people live in them.) They even have showers. You get a really tiny room with a chair and a computer.

Loneliness: When I'm over there, I'm usually so busy that I don't have time to get lonely. Then again, I'm used to traveling alone, and I generally don't mind it. (I also like crowds, and being with people, too, but it doesn't hurt me to be solo for a while.) With the internet and phones/email/Skype etc, it's harder to get away than it is to feel isolated, though.

That said, I'd be lying if I said I was never homesick, or never felt isolated. It happens. Recognize the feeling and move on. (Sometimes it's harder to do than other times.)

Find some nice small local bars/cafes/coffee shops/whatever you like and become a short-term regular. ZigZag at Yamasa was a great place to go to beat away the loneliness and have fun socializing with people from all over the world. (One of my favorite moments in 2011-- hanging out with some guys from Turkey. Since we didn't speak each others' languages, we talked in Japanese. Whoa. And I met a nice guy from India in Kyoto, then ran into him again in Nagoya, so we had dinner together.)

I blogged both of my big trips to Japan, although I'm still not done with photo editing for the last bit of the second one. >_>a

Here's the first trip I took, which was more about traveling. (The second one was more about studying.) I was writing mostly for my friends/relatives, but you can get an idea of all the stuff I was doing. (Plus, lots of photos.) Start at the bottom of Page 6 and move forward. It's the Japan2007 tag. I need to go back and tag the more recent trip, but there's a nasty storm coming, and I have to shut down.

Re: loneliness - spend the next year making some good Japanese friends online. That way you'll have some people you can meet and things you can do with company when you get there. I've spent the past couple of years building relationships as I study, and now I have several good online friends in Tokyo, Nagoya, and other cities that I can hang with when I go to Japan later this year.

Traveling in Japan without planning is very easy - in most cities there's a tourist information centre at the train stations that can help you book a place to stay. Just be cautious around long weekends or big events.
Manga cafes are actually really great places to sleep most of the time - just make sure you ask for a フラット room (room with computer and mat - no chair) and make sure they have a shower.
But yeah, booking ahead for peace-of-mind might be good. No reason to pre-plan everything though - you can book things as you go.

Summer has nice festivals, but overall Spring and Autumn are much more pleasant. Unless there's a special reason to go in Summer...

It's okay to get lost in Tokyo. In fact, I consider it part of the experience - if you don't get lost you're doing it wrong. When you need to find yourself, you can ask someone - or often (though not often enough) there are maps around the place.

Yep. I've gotten lost in Tokyo, and it wasn't so bad. Even when I wasn't lost, I've had people ask me if I needed directions. (Not often, but it's happened.)

Those tourist info centers are great resources. The one in Kyoto Station got me a ton of rooms. They had a big binder full of places to stay, and they'd call around and try to squeeze me into a room when it was crowded. (I think it got closed and moves?)

You can always check here for info: http://japaneseinngroup.com/information.html
and here: http://www.itcj.or.jp/en/

With the Olympics coming in 2020, I'd imagine that traveling in Japan in general will get a lot easier for those who don't speak the language.

I don't know if I'd recommend going to Japan without planning at least a place to stay on your first trip abroad. I've been to several countries in Europe, Asia, and North America and Japan is the place I'd least recommend for someone winging it. Of course, it can be done and everything will probably work out fine, but it could add a layer of stress showing up in a foreign country without knowing where you'll be staying that night.

My advice on traveling to Japan is don't over do it. There are a lot of people that go to Japan and try to cram way too much into their schedules in a short period of time. Something like 2 week trip:
3 days tokyo
3 days osaka
2 days hiroshima
2 days somewhere else
2 days back at depart city.

Problem is that people forget to factor in traveling and think they can travel and see stuff in same day. Tokyo to Osaka is quick on a bullet train but you still aren't going to get much done in that one day.

My recommendation is to get a travel guide and find things in an area. Osaka/Kyoto has a lot of stuff and you could easily turn it into a week long thing. Tokyo has stuff to but, probably not as much as some would think.

A lot of people here mentioned hostels, and if you are a social person, then they are great places for in addition to being cheap. The cheapness comes at a cost though. Having stayed in 1 hostel before, I'd easily opt to pay the 3000-4000 yen more a night for a cheap business hotel with my own room and shower.

That said. Some people don't like plans, as evidenced by some replies above, but I would recommend having a list of things you might like to see.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, staying for less than 2000 yen a night is definitely possible (in Tokyo). I averaged about 1500-2000 yen a night during my 6 week trip. Manga cafes, cheap capsule hotels (there are some for around 2300 yen a night) and couch surfing made it possible. Didn't book anything in advance either.

Different people have different concepts and expectations of what they want to get out of their travels. I'm not sure what yours are. Mine changes every time I travel.

What do you want to do there. Do you want to see sights? Eat food? Hit up events? Hang out with locals? Japan being super safe really helps.

Hostels are great if you want to be social. I did hostels the first few years but now I just like relaxing in my room in a hotel watching Youtube/TV and eating convenience store food sometimes. I'm such a slob.

Summer?

June is rainy season, July and August are hot and humid as all hell.

Still, it can be fun, just mind the temps and be careful to drink as much as you can. There's tons of websites out there for passes and what not. The only thing I can add that I haven't seen is for the love of God, do NOT attempt to do this without booking ahead if you plan to travel in August. Schools are out mid to late July and kids/college students travel EVERYWHERE. Even worse is the obon period around min-August when the whole nation migrates. Anything around August 11-15 expect to be packed, including hotels and transportation. Trying to wing it during those times would not be a safe bet.

Traveling alone internationally is great. I don't think you'll be lonely. I do it often, and for long durations, and am always looking forward to doing it more. As for Japan, I echo the 'don't go in the summer' advice. All the other seasons in Japan are beautiful.

As for other advice, it just depends on what you're interested in. I'd recommend going to a sumo tournament if you're there while one is going on. The summer one is in Nagoya. Climbing Fuji is also fun to do in the summer, and easily reachable by bus from Tokyo for a 2 day trip. Going to a baseball game and sitting in the cheap seats near the band is also tons of fun. A temple stay in Koyasan, or hiking the kiso trail, are some nice weekend trips.

For meeting people, couchsurfing, lang-8, tinder, etc, are all good. I've used couchsurfing a ton, not to find places to stay, but just to find people to go out with, get recommendations, etc., and it's always worked out well.

JusenkyoGuide Wrote:Summer?

June is rainy season, July and August are hot and humid as all hell.

And thaaaat's why I'm going in October. :-| I've seen too many Japanese friends sweating over Skype to consider this a good idea.

As for accommodations - it's been said in another thread, but AirBnB is a good, cheap way to travel. I booked my one night in Seoul and my 10 days in Tokyo for well under $400.

Re: Kyoto - has anyone ever stayed in one of the capsule hotels there? I'm debating a stay in Capsule Ryokan for one night just for the sheer silly experience.

http://www.capsule-ryokan-kyoto.com/jp/

October/November is a great time to go to Japan. It's not too hot, not too cold, and things are generally not too crowded. (Except Kyoto.) Late November is when the leaves are at their peak in Kyoto, and so are the crowds. Even the capsule hotels will be full on the weekends.

The only downside is that the sun sets REALLY FAST there, compared to the US, because no Daylight Savings Time.

gaiaslastlaugh Wrote:Re: Kyoto - has anyone ever stayed in one of the capsule hotels there? I'm debating a stay in Capsule Ryokan for one night just for the sheer silly experience.

http://www.capsule-ryokan-kyoto.com/jp/

Not in Kyoto, but I did spend a month in one in Tokyo... That was... fun.

Tokyo is never fun. =)

Oh wow thank you for all the great replies traveling sounds allot easier now.