I took a solo trip to Japan in my 20s. My experience traveling there alone as an English-speaking woman astonished me.
Since my first solo trip in 2013, I’ve done the majority of my traveling alone.
It’s become second nature, and family and friends are used to it at this point, but I raised a few eyebrows when I announced in 2023 that I was going to Japan entirely by myself.
I would be traveling farther than ever before, immersing myself in a very different culture with a significant language barrier: I grew up in England, was living in Franceand didn’t speak any Japanese.
Although this solo trip felt like an exciting adventure to take in my 20s, I still wondered what kind of challenges I could face. Turns out, I didn’t need to worry.
Halfway around the world, I’d never felt safer
During my time in Kyoto, I felt generally safe and peaceful. Jodie Hughes
As a solo female travelersafety is paramount. So, while researching my trip, I was relieved to learn that Japan is widely considered a safe country to visit and has fairly low crime rates.
Once there, it was easy to believe. The people I encountered were astonishingly polite and respectful. Unlike in other places I’ve visited, I also didn’t experience any unwanted attention from men that made me feel uncomfortable.
That said, I was delighted to discover the women-only carriages available on many Japanese metropolitan trains, which helped me avoid the discomfort of being pressed against unknown men during crowded rush-hour commutes. It’s a scenario that can create opportunities for harassment and groping in any city, so the measure felt especially thoughtful and reassuring.
Better yet, when it came to booking accommodations, I found many affordable options for rooms and floors that were just for women.
Throughout my international travels, I’ve noticed that women-only options often cost a premium rate — if they’re available at all. On this trip, though, hostels I looked at generally charged the same for women-only and mixed-gender options.
Only one of my hostels charged me extra for this, but I didn’t mind paying a few bucks more for the peace of mind of not having to share sleeping space with men I don’t know.
The budget accommodation options for solo travelers also impressed me
In Japan, being alone had never felt more acceptable. Jodie Hughes
When I stayed in Kyoto, I didn’t have to share my sleeping space with anyone at all even though I was on a tight budget.
I found a hotel charging just over 3,600 yen, or about $23, per night for a single room — meaning I had my own bedroom for less than I usually paid for just a bed in a shared hostel.
Yes, it was the tiniest bedroom I’d ever seen, with a folding bed and minimal space. However, it was immaculate, comfortable, and private.
Although the bedroom I had in Kyoto was tiny, I loved that it was all mine. Jodie Hughes
I had four walls and a door of my own, plus full lightswitch control. Nobody was coming in from the bar at 2 a.m. or getting up for a flight at 4. I slept like a baby, made calls at my leisure, and could even air-dry my laundry. It was pure bliss.
Japan is also famous for its capsule hotels, another type of accomodation that can work well for solo travelers.
The individual pods seem very cozy — and as I already alluded to, privacy is a rare luxury when you’re traveling solo on a budgetso I love that they’re even an option.
Although I didn’t stay in one on this trip, I’m keen to try them out.
In many ways, Japan felt perfectly set up for solitude
I enjoyed eating my meals alone while I was in Japan. Jodie Hughes
Eating out further illustrated how brilliantly Japan caters to being alone. Not only did it feel completely normal to be dining solo — it was often advantageous.
Several times, I could skip restaurant queues, and as I was ushered to a space facing the chefs, it was all I could do not to feel too smug about my front-row seat.
Even when I’d had to wait in line like everyone else, I was invariably taken to a table tailor-made for one with no second place settings to be awkwardly cleared away.
Plus, there were often partitions between customers at long tables or counters, eliminating the possibility of accidentally falling into stilted small talk with your neighbor. Again: bliss.
In all my travels, I’ve never been to another place where being alone felt so entirely acceptable — and accommodated to.
Ultimately, I had a great trip and found myself feeling more peace than loneliness
All in all, Japan felt like a great place for a solo trip. Jodie Hughes
Beyond the solo-specific adjustments, and despite only staying in Japan’s major citiesI found the general atmosphere promoted reflectiveness in a way that made me grateful to be there in only my own company.
Kyoto is probably the most peaceful-feeling city I’ve ever explored, and even much of Tokyo felt suffused with calm. Although people were talking and laughing on trains, on sidewalks, in shopping centers, they were doing it … softly. Even the cars seemed quiet.
Spending weeks so far from everyone I know on such a dramatically different timezone could’ve been lonely — but being somewhere so beautifully adapted to solitude meant it just felt right.
The warmth and kindness of the people I encountered in Japan helped, too. I was blown away by their eagerness to assist across the board whenever I needed it, despite the substantial language barrier.
And truthfully, when combining the handful of Japanese phrases I’d learned for the trip with locals’ overwhelming enthusiasm to help, language didn’t feel like much of a barrier at all.
Altogether, Japan might have been my furthest foray from home — but as a woman traveling aloneit was also my smoothest and safest adventure to date.