Why Japan is the Best Place to Travel Alone

Why Japan is the Best Place to Travel Alone

What happens when a daughter leaves home for Japan completely alone? This is the story of her first solo adventure, navigating the world’s biggest city, trains to the mountains, and life in a tiny snow village. It wasn’t easy, but it’s in these moments you see what travel is really about. From farewell tears to snowy nights, this is how a Gen Explorer is born. And this is just the beginning. Well, today is a day of mixed emotions. Our littlest Gen Explorer is going exploring. Where you going, Darren? Japan again. Again. What are you going to do in Japan? Work and snowboard. Yep. We’ve got the uh fully packed snowboard bag ready to go. We have the emotion. We have the emotional mother die. How you feeling? Sad. Stop crying all morning. So, we’re going to take it down to the airport now. It’s about an hour. So, I have an hour of tears. So the uh we’re getting close now. The excitement is just rushing through her body. I feel a bit sick. A bit sick. Yeah. Understandable. Yeah, we got lots of tears going on. Come on. Think of the happy times you’re going to have. That’s the best thing. All these people with Japanese hats on your phone. Hey. Yep. Understand that. I’ve stopped in at a little family mart to get some supplies to get some alco and some water after a long trip and we’ve just arrived at Uno. I’m now going to Nago. Yes. I walked into the apartment and there was free donuts. Couldn’t say no to a free donut. And I was like, “Please take one.” I was like, “Okay.” Here’s my little room. We’ve got got a little desk, got the bed, got the toilet here. First day in PR, I had to stop at Don Kyoto and get some alcohol. Got the goods. We’re just going to go for a little walk back to the apartment. Feeling pretty tired. Been going since 5:00 this morning. Caught a 9hour plane ride and then two trains. It’s 11:00 here and been going since 5, so quite tired. But I’ll show you guys around. Oh [ __ ] I just turned it on. I’m a bit drunk in the apartment trying to get the stand off. I’m not drunk right now, mama. I’m fine. So today in Tokyo, we have a Santa and a reindeer and we’re going into Don Kyoto. Second proper day here. Or well, I’d say first proper day cuz yesterday I traveled the whole day and I got here last night at like 10:00 and I went in here for like an hour and did a shop. But I’m going to do a proper one today cuz I can’t really bought alcohol. So you guys got to come along on the adventure with me. There’s so much stuff here to look at. Oh, this silly would have got their Santa outfits from I got a pair of gloves here last time. Last night we got two bottles and a few other things that only cost like $50 Australian dollars cuz as you can tell it’s very cheap. Like absolute $12 for seven more bottles. Um so much alcohol here. We’re going to go up to the next story. So, I feel like that’s just the food and alcohol section. We’re now going up to technology, I think. Oh, it says up there. Yeah. Cosmetics. I did actually need a iPhone charger when I came in and I’m going to try it. I don’t know what it is. It smells like a green tea. It tastes like green tea. Not a fan. And then I ordered a lemon sour. It’s only 1:00 p.m. But why not? I’m on holiday. And that’s a good lemon sour. And tempurula is on the way as well. I came in here cuz I saw temper in there and I was like, can’t say no. Thank you. Hi. Hi. Thank you. Looks pretty good. Let’s try. I got eight chopsticks. I’m not very Yum. Mhm. I’m not very good at using chopsticks. That’s what you can tell. I just thought that I should add in the price of this stuff. So, you saw the temper before it’s half eaten now, but that was um let me get the exact price. It was so you can actually um do English, but it was um 12 or $1,210 yen, which is 12 Australian. And the um drink that I got was 495 yen, which is about4 which is about $5 roughly or $4.95 Australian. So at the moment I’ve decided to take a walk to a temple or a shrine I should say. But the only thing is it’s um 1.7 km 25 minutes. So it’s a bit of a walk. um in a country that I don’t know what I’m doing. So, come on and adventure with me, everyone. Second day here. I love getting lost. It’s great. That’s why we have maps. So, if we end up getting too lost, we can hopefully just use maps to find our way back. And if worse comes to worse, maybe I’ll catch a taxi later. But good exercise. and I’ll show you around while we go on an adventure. For people that have never been to Japan before, it’s a lovely country. Great food. Everyone here is very nice if they can understand English. Not everyone’s good at English, but feel like the younger ones actually understand English pretty well or at least like the basics. Um, what does it say now? So, let’s just keep going straight. for 600. I’m a bit worried that I’m going to get very very lost. And I mean like now thinking about it, that seems pretty far. Look over there. It’s amazing. Got to wait for these lights over here. Pedestrians aren’t a thing. Like lines in Australia. You can’t just walk across them. You got to wait for the green thingy. So, the only thing is it’s telling me to walk straight, but like there’s like where the what is going on random side streets I feel like. So, I’m on the last leg of my wonderful journey. It’s a train from Nagono to Myoko. Finally arrived in Akura. To my surprise, no snow. But that’s okay. Winter is coming. Father, it’s funny to see it like this as it’s my third visit to Akura and first time here with no snow. It’s so peaceful here at the moment as there is almost no one here in the village. Bowling free on this journey. Just you and me. Here you can see is a room tour. This is the staff accommodation where 12 people were sharing. It was usually two to four people in a room. Um, one toilet, one shower, and we didn’t have a kitchen to cook. And this is the room that I was staying in with one other person. We are currently food shopping in Japan. We’ve got bananas and onions so far. These choke meal, a nutritious meal. Yeah, this is our list. This is probably good. This is a good bit of amount of men’s. Yeah, we argue like brother and sister. It’s a lovehate relationship. More hate than love though. Bad. Is it? And dude, we buy this honey for 500 yen when there’s this for 600. Don’t trust me shopping. I let you get one thing. What the? [ __ ] sake, dude. Jesus Christ. Oh my god. I love you, but for [ __ ] sake, you do. Holy [ __ ] Literally four times the amount, by the way. That’s funny. Here we are, guys making me spag bowl. master chef over here. I want to [ __ ] this up so bad. [ __ ] disgusting. You’re just going to like [ __ ] hate me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Rolling down the highway. Neon lights glow. Cave and speed. It carries stories only we will know. Father and daughter chasing mountain snow. Second laughs and sunrise everywhere we go. Yeah. Well, to be fair, our shop we did today was we got a lot of [ __ ] and it was 84 bucks. So, not bad over here. And it’s probably got an ass like maybe I think it’s probably going to only be two dinners, a lunch, probably like five breakfastes. Oh, way more than five. For the amount of oats we got, that’s enough for two weeks. Oh, yeah. We got a lot of oats. And we got two things of pancakes. I should show them the shop later on what I got. So, the end product is amazing. This is our flag sauce. And this is our amazing pasta that’s not burnt this time. I would get burnt pasta. Look at us go. Wait, we need we need to rate it though. We need to rate it all together. Hope the cheese doesn’t burn it down too much, you know. Cheese. Yummy. You got to give it a rating. Pasta is eight out of 10. The cheese and the pasta are four out of 10. Sauce nine. We’re heading up on onsent. Yep. And going across to Kanko. Such a be Look at the camera, man. I am feeling like [ __ ] to be honest. Huh? I’m feeling really sick to be honest. Are you? Yeah. That’s not good. So pretty. W. We’re so keen. Well, I’m very keen. It’s my first day out in like 3 days. It’s my like ninth day in a row. So, it’s time to [ __ ] just simmer down. Oh, that’s ready to shred, baby. Yeah, that’s the one. You’re a skier, so of course I’m joking. I love you, Jadly. I hate snow water, though. on the road. Heart so free through the temples, towns and cherry trees. Tokyo night breeze and speedy dreams in Japan with you and me. Ring steam rising lanterns in the rain. Bullet trains racing but we take a lane. Old streets whisper history through the pain. Chilling by myself cuz my friends are beginners and I don’t want to stay with beginners. I want to shred through the temples and cherry trees. Tokyo night breeze cave and speedy dreams in Japan with you and me. From leaving home to arriving in Japan, Chenade’s first solo journey was more than just travel. It was the first step into something bigger. She faced the unknown, found her way, and proved to herself that she could. But this is only the beginning because a month later I join her and together our Japan adventure truly began. Thanks for watching again legends. Make sure you subscribe, like, and we’d love to hear from you. So drop us a comment. On the road.

Japan solo travel, Aussie girl adventures, and the snowy mountains of Nagano all come together in this origin story of our channel — Birth of a GenXplorer. This film follows my daughter Sinnead as she leaves Australia for the first time on her own, flying into Tokyo, navigating the world’s largest city, and making her way to Akakura Onsen in the Japanese Alps to start work in the snowfields.

Every great journey begins with a single step, and for us, this was it. Watching her drag a massive snowboard bag through the airport, say goodbye to family, and set off for Japan alone was an emotional moment. From Narita Airport to Shibuya Crossing, from the shinkansen bullet train to the snowy streets of Nagano, every frame in this story captures what it feels like to leap into the unknown.

For many travellers, Japan is a dream destination — neon cities, rich culture, and deep powder snow. But this isn’t a typical Japan travel guide or highlight reel. This is the beginning of our GenXplorers story, told through the eyes of a young woman taking her first solo journey overseas. You’ll see Tokyo at night, the rush of train stations, and the calm beauty of Akakura Onsen, where steaming hot springs meet quiet mountain streets.

Sinnead’s plan was to work in the snowfields as a barmaid for the season, but like all good adventures, nothing turns out exactly as expected. What makes this film special is not just the sights of Japan, but the emotions — the nerves, the determination, and the discovery that travel is as much about inner growth as outer exploration.

Later, I would join her for three months in the mountains, turning this trip into an unforgettable father-daughter adventure. But before that could happen, this first chapter had to be written: one GenXplorer taking flight.

If you’re searching for Japan solo travel inspiration, curious about Nagano snow resorts, or simply want to follow the journey of a father and daughter exploring the world, you’ll find it here. We’ll share not only the highlights but also the struggles — dragging heavy bags, navigating language barriers, and learning what it takes to thrive abroad.

This video is part of our ongoing Japan travel vlog series, exploring Tokyo, Nagano, and beyond. From skiing and snowboarding in Hakuba, to sipping sake in tiny izakaya bars, to the everyday discoveries of convenience stores and train rides, we’ll bring you along for the ride.

Subscribe to GenXplorers to follow our adventures through Japan and the rest of the world. Whether you’re planning your own trip, dreaming of snowy mountains, or just love a good travel story, we’d love to have you join the journey.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and share if you enjoyed this first episode. This is more than a travel vlog — this is where it all begins.

#JapanTravel #SoloTravelJapan #NaganoSnow #TokyoTravel #JapanVlog #TravelVlog #AkakuraOnsen #Japan2025 #genxplorers #myoko #snowboardingjapan #snowboarding

00:37 leaving home
02:21 LAND IN JAPAN
02:58. Hotel check in
04:26 shopping don quiote
06:16. first food in Japan
08:42 walk to nagano shine
10:47. arrive Akakura
13:04 cooking spaghetti
15:17 gone snowboarding