This last weekend, I embarked on my first solo travel trip to Tokyo, Japan! How exciting! It was an exhilarating four days.
Solo travel has recently been romanticised and is a massive trend in our generation. You see many TikToks of people taking the plunge – and now I understand why.
I want to recap what I did here and how I sorted out my short trip to make the most of Tokyo.
Shout out to this page for having a fantastic itinerary; I stuck to it religiously and saw a lot of the city.
Is Japan Safe for Solo Female Travellers?
From my perspective, I felt very safe in Japan. Solo travel can be dangerous, but I read up about Tokyo before I left, and that eased my mind.
As a woman (unfortunately) these days, you still have to consider the various factors of danger while you are travelling.
Based on some rankings, Japan consistently ranks highly for the safety of solo female travellers. Making it one of the best places to travel solo.
Moreover, if I was approached, it was usually because I looked lost, and very kind people offered to help me!
Finally, Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, with meager crime rates as the culture is embedded with respect.
Where to Stay in Tokyo: Solo Travel Edition
My absolute dream was to stay in a capsule hostel, but by the time I looked into booking, everything was way too expensive.
Brace yourself for the prices if you are considering going to Tokyo; hostels arenât that cheap.
I stayed in Ikebukuro at Sakura Hostel. The hostel is a safe place for solo travel for women. They have bunk beds or single-room options. It was around $100 (USD) for four nights.
I opted for the bunk beds. Itâs a standard room, but the bathrooms and showers were pretty clean, which I appreciated.
On a scale of 1-10, I rate it a 7. It has everything you need, clean enough, but nothing extraordinary.
Moreover, they also offer a complimentary breakfast of toast, coffee, tea, and soup of the day!
Day 1 Recap: Solo Travel
My first day consisted of me immediately landing at the airport and buying the Tokyo 72-hour metro card.
First, I landed at Narita airport, an hour from the city. You can take a train that goes directly to Tokyo for around 20 dollars.
Next, I bought the 72-hour metro ticket, but beware, it only includes some lines. However, itâs still a great deal – just $10!
P.S. Google Maps works amazingly in Japan, a massive plus for solo travel!
Shibuya
After dropping my stuff off at my hostel, I went directly to Shibuya to visit the Meiji Jingu shrine.
On the way to the shrine, I walked beside the gorgeous park. I got so lucky with the weather, the perfect amount of sun and wind.
I was also peckish when I arrived, so I stopped for a cheeky ice cream!
I saw an ice cream parlour, and the woman was lovely and gave me a sample for free. The ice cream in this was vegan but still had a great consistency.
Meiji Jingu Shrine
The Shrine park was stunning and so calming I immediately felt at peace walking through the gardens.
Ironically, it reminded me of the Netherlands because the greenery was so flat. But, the lanterns and statues reminded me that I was, in fact, doing solo travel in Japan.
Once you reach the shrine, it is free to enter, and you can look inside from afar. You can also write down your wishes in an envelope to later pray with.
There was also a fortune teller activity. You drop a 100 yen coin into a box and shake it until a chopstick with a number emerges.
Once you get the number, you open a drawer with the corresponding number and read your fortune!
After writing my wishes and seeking my fortune, I looked inside the shrine. I was most fascinated by the architecture and how old the shrine was. The shrine is one of the oldest in Tokyo and is massive.
After admiring the shrine, I walked around the park. The park has many other sites, like a tea garden, museum, and gift shop!
Family Mart
Next, I needed a snack (typical!). Like South Korea, Japan has many convenience stores. One of the popular chains is Family Mart.
As soon as I saw one, I had to go in and try a snack! I got a bao pork bun, and it was delicious. It was only 80 cents too!
Intersection Omotesando and Aoyama-dori
Next, I walked through the intersection to look at all the fancy department stores and their stunning architecture.
Stores like Hugo, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton were here and had their designs out on display!
This is a great street to mooch around on for solo travel if you feel like you wonât be able to keep yourself busy.
Shibuya Crossing
After the window shopping, I could only go to Tokyo for solo travel if I visited the iconic Shibuya Crossing!
It felt like an amusement park when I was there, with so many people around me swarming together like bees in a hive.
It is overwhelming (especially if youâre short like me), so prepare yourself if you get claustrophobic with big crowds.
I highly recommend doing this and looking at the crossing from the Starbucks above to get a nice video shot!
Torikastu Chicken
Lastly, after achieving 23,000 steps, I was starving for dinner! My goal for this trip was to try and eat at as many cheap Michelin-star restaurants in Tokyo as possible.
For dinner, I stopped at a Torikatsu Chicken restaurant with a standard menu offering Katsu Chicken, a pork cutlet, a potato cutlet, rice, and miso soup.
Itâs a bit hidden in the streets and underground. Youâll need to watch out for the turn when you use Google Maps.
The underground restaurant offers an instruction card to help you properly eat the Katsu!
Once my food arrived, I was delighted. The sauce with the dish goes on top, and it was so yummy. I would highly recommend trying it, and it was only 1,250 Yen.
Onsen
Last but not least, after a long and tiring day, I decided to treat myself to a traditional Japanese sauna.
In Japan, there are loads of âonsensâ that have saunas, hot baths, and showers that you can pay for as little as 8 dollars and get access to many amenities.
I went here at the end of the day, but I felt out of place. Firstly, I had to find a tattoo-friendly salon, which was far out.
Solo Travel Emotions: Out of Place
When I arrived inside, there were only Japanese people and no foreigners, so I had yet to learn what was acceptable.
But, soon enough, when I entered, it was pretty straightforward: You take off your shoes, pay for entry, and then enter the gender-separated lockers.
I donât have any pictures of this (of course), and you enter the saunas without any clothes on, even for the showers and the baths.
I didnât stay a long time here because I did feel out of place since I didnât know what to do, but it was adorable.
I quickly stepped into the sauna and the hot bath. Both were relaxing; they even had an electric shock in the tub to relax your muscles!
There was also a cold plunge to switch the internal temperatures up a bit.
Overall, it was an excellent experience, but I wish I had returned a second time when it wasnât so busy to give myself to try properly.
Solo Travel: Japan
After day 1, I confidently say that for my first day of solo female travel, Tokyo did stun me!
With so much to do and delicious food, it was hard not to fall in love with the modern side of Tokyo.
Tokyo has a lot to offer for solo travel and could even be the best solo trips for women!
Finally, I completed one day of solo travel! Stay tuned for my days two and three recaps, where I delve into more of what Tokyo was like.
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