About travelling alone


How is it to travel alone in Japan?
This question came up a lot of times now so sitting on my train from Osaka to Hakone I thought I could adress this topic in a blog post.

I know it's been quiet here while I keep posting on Instagram frequently @dao_tao_insta and the reason for this is that I just don't have enough time.
Initially I was planning on blogging while on the major train rides that can take between 1 and 3 hours one way but so far every time I started somehow I got involved into a nice conversation and I think since I came here to experience Japan, it's culture and it's people this is time spent perfectly well.

When people ask if I'm travelling alone they kind of expect me to say no and tend to react very surprised when my answer is actually yes. I guess it's just not that common although I already met a lot of people on my way that are doing the same thing.

Isn't it lonely, travelling alone?
Is being asked a lot as well. My answer is I guess it depends on your personality.
I'm a very social person but also need a lot of time to recharge and be on my own every once in a while so it might be easier for me than for somebody who needs company around the clock. A big advantage of travelling alone in my opinion is being flexible - to see the things you'd like to see whenever you want to. It would not be an issue to skip part of my trip and get a hotel somewhere else if I felt like it in the morning. I also feel like it's easier to get to know or meet people when you're travelling alone because you're gonna have to communicate with others a lot of times somehow, getting you into conversations you'd otherwise probably just would have had with your travelling companions.
In addition to the above I feel like it's easier for other people to approach you if you're travelling alone. Who wants to embarass themselfes by talking in english to a group of 5 people, that might not even be able to understand your accent :)


So no, I don't feel lonely at all. This might be due to my curious personality and social media activity, because I actually met up for one evening with 2 relatives in Osaka or because I already knew I would meet up with friends of mine in Tokyo for 4 days at the end of the trip. After all it's only a 3 week journey in total and it would probably be a completely different experience to live here alone for like some months or even years.
Though from what I can tell so far Japanese people are very interested in getting to know foreigners and I don't feel like it would be hard to find a social environment over here. It will probably not just happen over night, I think you have to go out of your way and show interest and make an effort. Like everywhere else in the world. Again - this is just me thinking out loud after day 15 on a holiday in Japan.

Some things that might help in general are paying attention - I noticed people who are interested in talking to you sometimes just start using english to talk to each other to give you an opportunity to join the conversation.
Be curious and try to ask questions about the country, food or culture if you meet somebody who happens to not be in a rush and seems interested.
Smile a lot and be polite. Learn some bits of Japanese - makes for a great Icebreaker and is fun in general.
Have a social media account or Line to connect. So far instagram has been proven very convenient. Sometimes people even use Whatsapp but "Line" seems to be the app of choice for a lot of people here.

Oh and one last tip, always - ALWAYS have something sweet from your country with you. The culture of souvenir/ gift giving is very pronounced in Japan. It's called Omiyage / Miyage. I brought some individually packed "Kinderschokolade" and other small sweets from Germany to give to people whenever appropriate. I've met so so many helpful and kind people on my trip so far and even though it's just a small piece of chocolate I think it's a nice gesture and it made people smile.

Kommentare

  1. Hey Briana, I really prefer to travel alone, because people start to talk to you and you can find easy new friends. Best Wishes from Tokyo Tessa

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