I travelled to Japan on my own this summer for 16 days. I was a bit nervous when I planned the trip- spending this much time on my own in a country with such a language barrier seemed daunting. As I soon discovered, it was much easier than I thought.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00-00:23. Introduction
00:24-01:20. Language Barrier
01:21-02:31. Solo Travel
02:32-04:32. Transportation
04:33-05:48. Base Cities
05:49-07:40. Modern Technology
07:41-08:29. Final Thoughts
HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS VIDEO!
👉 Please like and share it.
🌟Thank you for watching this video, click the “SUBSCRIBE” button and press the “BELL” icon to stay connected with this channel.
⌨ Tell me where you want to travel to next…
TRIP PLANNING ESSENTIALS
Google Flights: https://www.google.com/travel/flights
Skyscanner: https://www.skyscanner.com/
Hotels.com: https://www.hotels.com/
Booking.com: https://www.booking.com/
Expedia: https://www.expedia.com/
Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/
This video uses Envato Elements
#japantravel #solotravel #tokyo #Kyoto #Osaka
You know do I think I really conquered you know my fear of traveling to Japan by myself you know I’d say now that I’ve had a few months to reflect um obviously was a great trip and I really feel very comfortable doing it again or something like that so 100%
I’m pretty confident and uh feel like I conquered that fear I was very concerned about the language barrier and uh it was definitely a challenge but between Google translate and an easy access to English at the major transportation centers it was something I managed to do without much
Of a problem Japan has often perceived as a challenging place when it comes to language for international visitors and the barrier at times is real major cities like Tokyo have more English signage while many smaller towns and rural areas may not I learned a few basic Japanese phrases but mainly use
Translation apps like Google translate and papao most of the time I use pointing gesturing and using pictures when I was trying to communicate while ordering food when in doubt don’t hesitate to ask for help Japanese people are friendly and willing to assist visitors if you encounter any challenges
Seek guidance from locals or other Travelers being on your own for 17 days is not something I was excited about necessarily uh so book it Food Tours and things every 3 to four days to allow me get into a group was kind of nice group tours can significantly enhance the solo
Travel experience for me Food Tours specifically provide a range of benefits that go well beyond just enjoying a delicious meal you get instant social interaction these Food Tours often bring together a group of people with shared interest in exploring local Cuisine this instant camaraderie creates opportunities for the Solo Traveler to
Socialize share experiences and make new friends it really helped me combat the potential loneliness associated with solo travel and since food is an integral part of the Japanese culture participating in a food tour allowed me to immerse myself in the local culinary Traditions sharing a meal is a universal
Way of connecting with others and participating in several of these Food Tours created memorable experiences for me and served as a source of connection while traveling alone and as a bonus at the end of most evening Food Tours participants usually head out on their own and several more hours exploring the City the really nice transportation in Japan um between the Shen Consin and the Metros definitely allowed easy access to places I wanted to go without too much hassle efficient and punctual public transportation is a staple in Japan they boast an extensive and highly efficient public transportation Network including
Trains buses and Subways trains in particular are known for their punctuality frequency and speed making it easy for tourists to explore different regions with reliability the bullet train or Shen Consin connects major cities across the country at high speeds this allows tourists to travel between the cities quickly and
Comfortably reducing travel time and making it feasible to explore multiple destinations within a short period the Japan Rail Pass allowed me to have an unlimited travel on Jr trains for 14 days these passes were cost effective and convenient for tourist especially those planning to visit multiple cities since October of this past year
The Rail Pass has gone up in price so you may want to check that out cities like Tokyo and Osaka have comprehensive Metro systems as well that make it easy to navigate urban areas I was able to efficiently travel between attractions using Subways reducing the Reliance on taxis or private Vehicles most Transportation
Hubs including train stations and airports provides signage and information in multiple languages this helped me navigate through the transportation system more easily reducing any language related challenges finally smart cards like the sua card offer a convenient way to pay for transportation across different modes these cards could be used on trains
Buses and even for small purchases at convenience stores the overall efficiency reliability and accessibility of Japan’s transportation system contributed significantly to my confidence and positive experience moving around Japan basing myself in Tokyo Kyoto and Osaka kind of 6 days 5 days 3 days um definitely the right move for a firsttime solo trip there not real adventurous but allowed me to do day trips and allowed me to kind of have a base camp and some place I can get
Comfortable using base cities as a strategic approach to travel is an excellent way to explore a country efficiently minimizing unnecessary travel time and maximizing your experiences I chose three major cities Tokyo Kyoto and Osaka each has good Transportation links such as a central train station making it easy to explore
Surrounding regions these three cities known as The Golden Triangle are strategically located which allowed me to easily reach various attractions and regions I was able to plan day trips from each place in the end I went to Nagano Kamakura Nara Hiroshima him and kishiki I was able to do all of this
Using my Japan Rail Pass using these base cities allowed me to put my luggage away explore the area in more detail and not lose time in packing up and heading to a new Hotel having easy access in kind of a modern world with internet Google Maps your phone it really takes away a lot of the anxiety so anybody who’s kind of hesitating on doing something on their own whether it be in a foreign country or not um it’s just so much easier to
Plan things now and so I feel like that was step one for me and just understanding I could do just about anything I needed to do uh because I had access to a phone modern technology is revolutionize the way people plan experience and navigate foreign travel first of all online booking platforms
Make life a lot easier nowadays I was able to easily plan and book flights accommodations and activities through these platforms to plan the trip I use social media like Instagram and Tik Tok travel blogs and of course YouTube channels this allowed me to gather insights tips and recommendations from other people’s
Experiences apps on my phone were also quite useful navigation apps like Google Maps or a life saer and I use it every day to get around translation apps allow me to communicate more effectively with locals read signs and understand menus and there were also other apps designed specifically for travelers that I used
Such as tripet to keep my itinerary and XE currency to check out the in conversion rate Travelers can stay connected by using SIM cards or activating international roaming Services I specifically use my AT&T plan and PID with $10 every day this allowed me to have internet and Global
Connectivity so I could stay in touch with family and friends in summary modern technology has transformed foreign travel by making more accessible efficient and enjoyable I was able to leverage a variety of tools and platforms to plan my trip navigate unfamiliar places communicate effectively and document my experience with
Ease would I do it again 100% um I’m already starting to think about my next solo trips um I got a few things planned in 2024 it really might not be on my own with other people but um I would definitely go back to Japan
Again on my own and I’m kind of starting to look over the next few years some other locations I’d like to go um for a couple of weeks by Myself
1 Comment
There we go!! Another great clip