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Hi Everyone,

I have done 5 solo trips 4 is domestic and one I had an international solo trip to Japan.

In 2023 I want to start with an international solo trip to Japan.

I am looking for your help.

This is my very first trip too far distance from my mother country.

Japan is safe for solo travelers OR Do I need to hire any local guide over there? What will you suggest?

Here little about my trip details - I will flying on 15 March in the evening. I will be there for 10 days.

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

Cheer’s,

Matt

Kon nichi wa= hello, good day in JPNese. Kon ban wa= good evening. train=kokuden.

I have been 2x in JPN, 1 on a Japan Railpass for 2 weeks, all on my own, quite some time ago now, but I even then had, if I may say from myself, considerable exp. in travel, also in countries without our ABC and barely anyone speekee the ingris/angel. Which is still very much a given fact for JPN. Where I am now in tropical surroundings are also quite a lot of young Jpnese-with blue or yellow painted hairs. I always have nice contacts with them.

Many say JP is the very safest country in this world. Also for single ladies and even more if you are gaijin=westerner, easy to see on your skin colour.

There are several forums aiming the general and ignorant unknowing traveller like you are now for there. Best known is tripadvisor-have to search a little for the forums, it is not directly visible. Have to reach it via other/more - forums - Asia - JPN. Or simply use google. READ first, most of the things any newbee wants to know have been posted+answered dozens of times.

In the past it was very evident for anyone to first borrow/buy a GUIDEBOOK, and read. Lonely Planet series is best known and some (I dk if also JPN) are even in IT translated. Perhaps there is also a library where you can borrow in your town.

DO also be very aware that JPN is VERY expensive -that means that wages for a guide are also very high-AND as far as I now know it also still has-for these pesky gaijin, many restrictive anti-covid entry rules. DO inform yourself very well. You can do it fairly lower priced-I did that too-by staying in youth hostels (become a member to them in your own country-yes, si, IT also has them), some nights in trains or bus and by buying food from the millions of small kombini=convenience stores like Lawson, Family or 7-11. JP also used to have (I dk if still the case) a kind of circle of locals willing to guide visiting gaijin in their own town, or even to visit their tiny homes, as a chance to practish english or welcome gesture. There is even a system of ´couch surfing´_where you can stay in someones house for free, perhaps just in a slepingbag on the ground, but with you also offering the same in Italia. But to arrange all that needs loads of advance planning-never do anything un-announced over there.

As for treni: just as here most treni that run are locals that cannot RES-and are extremely full in the peaks. The ShinKansen hi-speed and expresses have half RES and other half NON-in busy times that will mean you have to stand there.

Thank you so much for such great insight about the JPN. its really help me a lot. Yes I have gone through the many sites lonelyplanet.com, tripadvisors.comgowithguide.com, japan-tourismguide.com, toursbylocals.com. Also, I had the zoom call with fews one regarding the local tour guide services, i got the few pocket friendly. They told me about how toure will be gone..

 


Kon nichi wa= hello, good day in JPNese. Kon ban wa= good evening. train=kokuden.

I have been 2x in JPN, 1 on a Japan Railpass for 2 weeks, all on my own, quite some time ago now, but I even then had, if I may say from myself, considerable exp. in travel, also in countries without our ABC and barely anyone speekee the ingris/angel. Which is still very much a given fact for JPN. Where I am now in tropical surroundings are also quite a lot of young Jpnese-with blue or yellow painted hairs. I always have nice contacts with them.

Many say JP is the very safest country in this world. Also for single ladies and even more if you are gaijin=westerner, easy to see on your skin colour.

There are several forums aiming the general and ignorant unknowing traveller like you are now for there. Best known is tripadvisor-have to search a little for the forums, it is not directly visible. Have to reach it via other/more - forums - Asia - JPN. Or simply use google. READ first, most of the things any newbee wants to know have been posted+answered dozens of times.

In the past it was very evident for anyone to first borrow/buy a GUIDEBOOK, and read. Lonely Planet series is best known and some (I dk if also JPN) are even in IT translated. Perhaps there is also a library where you can borrow in your town.

DO also be very aware that JPN is VERY expensive -that means that wages for a guide are also very high-AND as far as I now know it also still has-for these pesky gaijin, many restrictive anti-covid entry rules. DO inform yourself very well. You can do it fairly lower priced-I did that too-by staying in youth hostels (become a member to them in your own country-yes, si, IT also has them), some nights in trains or bus and by buying food from the millions of small kombini=convenience stores like Lawson, Family or 7-11. JP also used to have (I dk if still the case) a kind of circle of locals willing to guide visiting gaijin in their own town, or even to visit their tiny homes, as a chance to practish english or welcome gesture. There is even a system of ´couch surfing´_where you can stay in someones house for free, perhaps just in a slepingbag on the ground, but with you also offering the same in Italia. But to arrange all that needs loads of advance planning-never do anything un-announced over there.

As for treni: just as here most treni that run are locals that cannot RES-and are extremely full in the peaks. The ShinKansen hi-speed and expresses have half RES and other half NON-in busy times that will mean you have to stand there.


This is a Community for Interrail/Eurail travellers by train in Europe so I guess that you will get better advice if you look for a group aimed at travellers going to Japan.

I hope you find answers to your questions.  

Thank you so much Anna,  Sure will check over there. OR could you please help me out . is it possible for you to share this thread over there so, more members can participate and do the answer. I really appreciate!

Thanks again!!

 

Cheer’s

Matt


Hey!!

Greetings!!

One more thing, I would like to hire local private guide over there. Because traveling to complex destinations like India, Japan or on safari in Africa can be a real challenge without a good local tour guide. 

I think guides are lifeline in such situations. 

In-depth knowledge and local savvy enhance the experience of a place, as they are often with us the whole time, not just on a one-off tour.

So what would you suggest - where i can book local private guide for my Japan tour.

Meanwhile I’m browsing the lots sites and cross checking the price and package providing by local guide.

 

Cheer’s,

Matt


This is a Community for Interrail/Eurail travellers by train in Europe so I guess that you will get better advice if you look for a group aimed at travellers going to Japan.

I hope you find answers to your questions.  


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