In our opinion, it’s almost impossible not to have an amazing time on a Japan solo trip, regardless of what you do or where you go. With its ultra-safe cities, world-class transportation, and historic culture of quiet reflection, Japan is an ideal destination for any solo traveller.
Whether you’re wandering through serene temples in Kyoto, savouring a bowl of ramen at a solo-friendly counter, or getting lost (in the best way) down yokocho in Tokyo, this guide will help you plan a Japan solo trip that’s smooth, meaningful, and uniquely your own.
Can You Travel Japan on Your Own?
The short answer is, of course you can! Not only is Japan incredibly safe, traveller-friendly, and filled with beautiful and unique culture, but a Japan solo trip can actually take travel to the next level. Going alone might seem scary, but it brings with it the chance to make new friends, triple your self-confidence, and even connect more deeply with the Japanese cultural appreciation of stillness.
You always have the option to meet new people while on a Japan solo trip, but what’s even more amazing are the opportunities to enjoy being alone along the way. From silent reflection in a zen garden to learning the craft of kintsugi or taking the first bite of a solo omakase meal, there are some things just better experienced alone.
5 Reasons You Should Take a Japan Solo Trip
- Doing things alone is part of Japanese culture: Japan embraces quiet reflection, solitude. It is considered normal to go, eat, and do things alone, so you’ll never have to worry about standing out.
- Japan is one of the safest countries in the world: The crime rate is extremely low in Japan, meaning you can relax and enjoy the moment. Your belongings will be safe wherever you leave them, and even walking alone at night feels safe compared to many other places.
- There’s amazing public transport: You can get around Japan easily without needing to rent a car or pay for expensive solo taxis…unless you miss the last train and don’t want to stay up until the morning.
- There are countless solo cultural experiences: Most cultural experiences in Japan don’t require a partner or group. In fact, there are many Japan tours for singles and solo travellers made specifically for those travelling alone.
- The local people are polite and respectful: Even if you don’t speak Japanese, Japanese people are usually polite, respectful, and willing to help if you’re lost or confused.
Still deciding? Check out the post below:
How to Plan a Japan Solo Trip
Now that you’re convinced, it’s time to start planning your Japan solo trip! One of the best things about a solo trip to Japan is that you can make it exactly what you want it to be. That means you’re in control of where you go, how long you go for, and what you do when you get there.
Need a little extra help? Check out our travel planner, and get a perfect Japan solo trip itinerary from as little as $1/day.
How to plan a Japan solo trip:
Step 1: Set the Date
You already know you’re going on a solo trip to Japan…but you still have a lot more decisions to make. One of the best things about the country is just how seasonal it is; every season has something completely different to offer. Think carefully about when to plan your trip, as deciding when to embark on your Japan solo trip will set the tone for the entire adventure.
Summer is filled with matsuri festivals and bright fireworks shows, autumn brings beautiful momiji (fall foliage), in winter Japan becomes a ski and snowboarding haven, and spring offers a chance to experience the world-famous cherry blossoms.
Explore Japan by the season:
Step 2: Find Your Destination
Now you know when you’re going on a solo trip to Japan…but you still have a lot more decisions to make. Japan is a hugely diverse country to travel with bustling cities, remote mountains, and tropical islands. What’s more, each one of the 47 prefectures has its own local speciality food, culture, and activities.
If you’re looking for excitement and easy access to other solo adventurers, then you can’t beat a stop in Tokyo. The city is overflowing with cultural activities, incredible restaurants, and an amazing nightlife. You can even take a Tokyo day trip to one of the surrounding prefectures to experience a different side of Japan.
From Tokyo, you can complete Japan’s ‘Golden Route’ with stops in Osaka and Kyoto. Osaka’s motto, eat till you drop, should prepare you for the never-ending array of mouthwatering cuisine found in the city, whilst Kyoto offers a glimpse into Japan of the past with temples, cobbled streets, and traditional dining.
Want a Japan solo trip more focused on self-reflection and solitude? Why not get off the beaten track and visit one of Japan’s less frequented but equally noteworthy islands? Rent a car in Hokkaido to visit the flower fields in summer, train across laidback Kyushu to see relaxed villages and seaside towns, or fly down to Okinawa for an awesome solo beach getaway.
Step 3: Research Solo Activities and Group Tours
Almost any cultural activity you can do as a group in Japan, you can also experience alone. Some of our favourites are mochi pounding, sushi making, or taking a tour of a sake brewery. Not only can you experience something completely unique to Japan, but you can even make friends doing it.
As you research everything there is to do in Japan, you’ll quickly notice how many of them are to do with appreciating beauty, whether that’s natural, historical, or artistic. Japan is filled with exquisite sites that are so often best appreciated in silence.
Group tours are an amazing way to meet other travellers, explore Japan, and learn from a local tour guide. It also takes away the pressure of planning everything all by yourself. You could do a multi-day Kansai tour and let someone else take care of where you stay and what you see, or take a one-day group tour of some of Japan’s most intriguing areas.
We don’t want to brag too much, but our group trips for singles and solo travellers have brought people together from all over the world to experience the best Japan has to offer. We even have themed tours for anime lovers and taste tours for vegetarians, where you can explore Tokyo with other travellers who just get it.
Step 4: Decide on a Budget
If you’re taking a Japan solo trip, you have to be realistic about how much money you want to spend. Without others to split the cost of hotel rooms and meals, things can add up. Japan has a reputation for not being the cheapest country to visit…but it’s also not the most expensive.
There are plenty of ways to keep costs down during a solo trip to Japan, such as opting to eat at smaller, local (but still delicious) restaurants, to taking a group tour instead of a private one.
Start by thinking about how long you want your trip to be. Once you’re in Japan, you can get by on as little as ¥10,000 ($75) per day for food, accommodation, and activities, although the higher your budget, the more you’ll be able to do and experience.
Transport within cities is super affordable, but moving between places can get pricey, e.g., a one-way Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Osaka is ¥13,870 (almost $100). You’ll also need to factor in the cost of flights, which can vary massively depending on where you’re coming from.
Step 5: Book Flights & Decide on Hostels, Hotels, or Ryokan
It’s time to pull the trigger and book your flights. Make sure to shop around across different airlines and flight comparison websites to get the best deal, and remember, flights tend to be the cheapest on weekdays.
Next is accommodation. We don’t want to sound dramatic, but choosing the right accommodation for your Japan solo trip is truly make or break. You’ll find every end of the accommodation spectrum in Japan: luxury resorts, tiny capsule hotels, and historical ryokan.
If you’re time (and budget) allows, why not try out a few different options? A ryokan stay will share with you one side of Japanese culture, with a capsule hotel offering another one completely. There are also so many hostels across the country for a slightly more budget-friendly option.
One thing that you can count on is that no matter where you stay, it’ll be clean, comfortable, and run by attentive staff—Japanese hospitality and service is no joke!
Step 6: Research Your Base City
You definitely don’t need to have everything planned out before arriving on your Japan solo trip, but knowing some key details can seriously simplify the solo traveller experience. Specifically, make sure you know how to get from the airport to your accommodation. This might mean taking the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Tokyo, the JR Haruka Express from Kansai Airport into Osaka, or an airport bus out of Itami.
It could also be a good idea to brush up on a few essential Japanese travel phrases. Particularly as a solo traveller in Japan, it can prove very helpful to know the basics to get by…and get out of any potentially difficult situations.
There are plenty of free apps that can help with getting to grips with basic Japanese, from Duolingo to Wanikani. Planning a Japan solo trip is also the perfect excuse for watching even more anime in the name of “studying”.
Step 7: Consider a Transportation Pass
Once upon a time, the Japan Rail Pass was a no-questions-asked travel hack — especially for those covering a lot of ground. But after recent price jumps, it’s no longer a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether it’s the right choice for your solo adventure depends on your route, travel pace, and how much of Japan you actually plan to see by train.
One of the biggest pros to a Japan solo trip is the total freedom to do and go wherever you want, whenever you want…and the transportation pass can end up hindering this. To get your money’s worth, you have to take a lot of trains to cover a lot of the country.
A regional pass, on the other hand, could be a better fit if you’re planning to stay in just one part of the country. These passes often cost far less than the national JR Pass and still give you unlimited train access in that specific area.
Step 8: Work Out What Needs Booking in Advance
There’s no denying that Japan is a super popular tourist destination, with a whole lot of really popular activities. Knowing what does (and doesn’t) need booking in advance, as well as when to book it, can quickly get confusing.
For a more detailed breakdown, check out our guide to Japan travel reservations, but here’s a quick cheat sheet on things that need booking 1-3 months in advance:
- Studio Ghibli Tour
- Shibuya Sky
- Disneyland/Disney Sea
- Universal Studios Japan
- Sumo Tournaments
- Imperial Palace Tours
Step 9: Make a Packing List
It’s never too early to start a packing list. In fact, having a designated note on your phone to add things to whenever they pop into your head is actually a great travel hack that you’ll be so thankful for later on.
Don’t know where to start? Use our list below:
Something you might overlook is the digital things you might want to prepare before your Japan solo trip arrival: apps. There are a bunch of incredibly useful Japan travel apps that can set you up for the smoothest adventure ever. Think translation, navigation, and payment.
Step 10: Stay (And Get) Connected
It might be the last thing you want to think about when planning your solo trip to Japan; however, safety still has to play a role. Don’t get us wrong, Japan is an amazingly safe country, but there’s always a small chance of something going wrong on a solo trip.
Just in case, it’s great practice to share your location and travel plans with someone trusted back at home. To ensure you’re connected at all times, you can purchase a SIM card, pocket Wi-Fi, or eSIM. Learn more about your Japan solo trip connection options in our SIM card vs pocket Wi-Fi guide.
FAQs
Is it safe to travel to Japan alone?
Absolutely! Japan is widely considered to be an incredibly safe country with extremely low rates of crime.
Is Japan safe for female travellers?
Japan is one of the safest countries for female travellers to visit and explore alone. It is always important to keep your wits about you as a solo female traveller, but the safety risks in Japan are considered to be on the lower end.
Is it difficult to travel alone in Japan?
Not at all! Japan is a solo traveller-friendly country with many options when it comes to travelling alone. Most of the country can be traversed by bus or train, with many accommodation options to suit travellers on all budgets.
How much would a solo trip to Japan cost?
The budget for a solo trip to Japan can vary greatly based on the length of time you’re visiting and what kind of experience you want to have. You can easily enjoy a one-week trip for under $1000 (excluding flights), or spend upwards of $10,000 for the ultimate luxury experience.
Where to go in Japan as a solo traveller?
Every prefecture in Japan has something unique to offer. Many solo travellers choose to start or end in Tokyo, an electric metropolitan, spending the middle portion of their trip backpacking through rural Kyushu, exploring historic Kansai, or snowboarding across snowy Northern Japan.
