I've mainly been a solo traveler and been to Japan close to 10 times now, but I'll be going with a couple of friends (3 in total, 2 friends + me) pretty soon, both of whom have never been here.
Naturally they expect me to take the lead and I'll gladly do so, but I just wonder if any of you can recall any activities/surprises/etc that were different in a group context vs a solo context.
For instance, I've wanted to visit the Teamlabs Borderless museum, but I've always thought that on my own I'd just speed through it, while if I'm with friends then we'd make each others' experience even better.
On the contrary, I can also imagine that some stuff is easier/different to do on your own vs in groups, but I don't have any concrete examples there.
And obviously there's the whole travel/hotel part of it, but I hope we won't run into any big surprising stuff there.
by Irru
31 comments
Solo traveling when your goal is to explore the country. Group when you can just chill and have fun.
Meals are a big difference. When solo, I usually just grab something on the go. In a group, we’d visit a restaurant far more often.
But if I were you, I’d allow for some “solo time”. Like, once everyone is settled and accustomed to how public transport works, where they can find the stations (or at least how to use something like Google Maps), have the option for them to go out on their own. Like you said, it’s a different experience being in a wildly foreign country on your own versus a group, so it might be a nice chance for them to experience this in miniature.
If they’re interested in what you’re interested in, it can be really energizing to share your favourite things with friends. I was over and done with Kyoto for a few years until I went with some first-timer friends and got to see it with fresh eyes.
solo travel you can sit if there is one empty seat on the subway. cant if you travel in groups. WTF question is this?
Trying to stay together while navigating huge, confusing train stations is a real pain! I found that much easier on my own because I could just zip along without worrying about whether I’d lost anyone.
Trying to agree on what to do can be tough if you all want to see different things. Also trying to find somewhere to eat if anyone in the group is a fussy eater or has allergies etc.
If you’re used to travelling solo those kinds of things can be really frustrating at first, but then having someone to share experiences with and, as someone’s already said, have lovely meals out with, is so nice, so it’s swings and roundabouts!
everyone needs their alone time 😌
travelling with friends is fun but even when everyone is considerate and kind to each other, feelings still build up and sometimes you just have to decompress.
in a recent group trip, everyone’s favorite part of the trip was the solo day/ solo half-day they took. it gives everyone a chance to explore spots they want – ones that group cant agree on. plus being alone connects you deeper with the city. and it gives you time to miss other a bit more.
Solo: Yes
Couple: Yes
3: Yes
4 or more: fuck no
Both are enjoyable. Went once with my husband, once by my self.
But I have to say after this second time, I prefer at least one like minded person with me to share the mental load of figuring out transportation or logistics on some days lol. Just another pair of eyes to look for signs or double check routes to keep my anxiety in check. I was calling an texting my husband daily- it would have been better to share the experiences in the moment, than sharing them second hand.
The flip side is without a person with me, I planned a very different trip that if went with a group. Some people in our group have a fear of heights or are bit claustrophobic- so their needs would have prevented things like the use of rope ways or smaller, cheaper accommodations. One has a spacial issues when using stairs- and need guidance to get up and down certain configurations. Many shrine areas have lots of stairs. Multi story, older buildings can have very tight corridors, stairs and unit bathrooms.
I’m glad I went by myself, because I would not have gotten to do parts of the Nakasendo otherwise. If your only chance to go is solo- do it. But also bring a friend or partner if you can too.
Taking a taxi might be super worth it in many instances
We’ve been to Japan twice as a family of 4 and we’ll be there again a few more times. I love my kids but I wish I could just go there with my wife because traveling as a group in Japan could be challenging especially the hotels and restaurants part.
Easier to follow rules and be quiet etc when alone vs in a group. You automatically talk more and louder and laugh etc and ma not always notice your volume. May also have to navigate ppl who don’t care about the rules etc
Once alone and two times with a gf.
Outside of it being less expensive on my own? I found.
Easier to plan and not worry about the small stuff on my own.
I have never done a full trip with friends, but have spent some days with friends.
Your scenario might also be a bit different than if you were all going for the first time. In your case, they might have the expectation that you will be their personal guide. For example I spent a day with a friend in Tokyo, his first time and my 7th time, I just asked him what he wanted to do and showed him around these places. There is specific stores he wanted to see and I did not care stopping by even if it was not things I am personally interested to because I accepted that this was a day for him, not for me.
For me the downside of solo travel is when you see some specific dish on the menu and it’s portion for 2 (remember some nabe dish in Fukuioka), or maybe I would have done the rollercoaster in Yokohama Cosmo World.
What is easier on your own, is doing whatever you want without having to think about what other people like, same for food. Want to visit multiple shrine/garden, or castle, or history museum, or art museum or simply skip them ? No problem. You can also just go to whatever store without having to explain why.
And while yes sharing the experience with other people can be nice, at times it migth also mean that you have to compromise for your travel party. For example I do not specifically like art museum and would usually skip them, but waht if I travel with someone who love art museum? Either you compromise, or you just split. So you have to accept one or the other. So would you be your friends guide if they want to do something you are not interested to do, to would they be ok to let you do something different?
The other times I spend a day with people, we would be on the same page on things to do or would check if we agree with the next things during the day and just split if we want something different.
I think that as long as you have the same expectation, for example taht at time you can act as a guide, but at times you might want to plit or that they have to give their input on the planning and you are not the only person in charge of planning evetything, then it would be better than if some (if not all of you) end up compromising and feel you waste time on doing things you don’t enjoy for the sake of the other.
I went with my GF and then a solo trip. Both were great, but I got to eat more of what I wanted when I went solo, I’m more of an adventurous eater than her, and I got to wake up earlier and just walked all over the place, which was a plus
Main difference I think is it’ll be harder to get restaurant reservations as a lot of places have limited seating. So book early.
The number of bathroom breaks, picky eaters, lack of navigational skills, lack of planning skills, how long some people window shop, inability to take 30k steps a day, etc…
With 3 it should be OK. Would be scared taking 5 or more.
The biggest surprise for me was Osaka. I didn’t enjoy it at all solo compared to when I was there with groups of friends. Initially, I actually preferred Osaka to Tokyo. And I think my lack of enjoyment in Osaka as a solo visitor is because Osaka is such a social place compared to Tokyo, but I’m pretty introverted. People are more conversational and want to make connections with others in Osaka. Where-as in Tokyo, everybody keeps to themselves and their own circles. I didn’t feel lonely in Tokyo at all. But I felt really lonely in Osaka.
I did my first solo trip to Japan in 2024 after doing several trips with groups of friends. And honestly, I preferred the solo trip massively — even with the slight gloom of my days in Osaka. I could be selfish about my itinerary. When you’re with a group, you are constantly having to make compromises. Also, I really do like being able to have time to myself, and that was harder to do in a group.
I did teamLab (Planets and Borderless) solo and I enjoyed it. I’d feel like if I were there with a group of friends, I wouldn’t be able to fully soak in the experience. It was nice to sit in some of those installations alone and take it all in. Not to say that it won’t be fun with friends, but I didn’t feel ‘Oh man, I wish I wasn’t here alone’.
Dining is definitely easier solo, because a lot of places in Tokyo favour solo diners and the smallest possible groups. And oft times in some of these places there is so much silence, because everybody there is dining alone.
Some amazing memories were made on those trips with friends. Even after so many years, we still talk about those trips. But I found my solo trip so liberating by comparison.
When i go solo, i do not need to tick off anyone’s itinerary. I rest when I am tired, grab a coffee and chill at a cafe. Japan is really friendly for solo travellers. The freedom to do whatever I want!
When i go in group, ppl tend to expect me to bring them around and navigate. Because i speak Japanese, i have to be the one who orders and ask questions. Its fun to travel in a group but its very tiring for me😅
I’ve been solo extensively, and have also guided friends and family around on many occasions, up to 4 people (me + 3). I was also always the only one that spoke the language.
Of course there are differences in terms of experience in itself, but for me the hardest part was feeling responsible for making it a good experience for everyone else, even when no one else was explicitly expecting this of me. I couldn’t help but feel like I needed to try and manage things as well as possible and found it harder to let things happen spontaneously or to not feel like I’d f’d up if something was difficult or subpar. I think being honest about this to the rest of the party and discussing how to mitigate it was the most helpful. Of course, being the only one to speak Japanese will always make you responsible for things to an extent, but my friends and fam were totally willing to go out and explore on their own or make decisions when asked, which helped take the pressure off to an extent. Still, eternally a difficult balance.
Depends who you go with. We had someone in our group that wanted to see things but couldn’t decide even when we gave them multiple options.
I ended up going off and doing my own thing one morning because I just happened to wake up early and didn’t want to spend an hour in the lobby waiting for them to come down and another hour debating what to do.
They eventually just caught up with me but I was ready to solo the whole day.
I went to teamlabs on my own, and I had fun, and it still took a while, but it would be even more fun with a group.
How much fun you’ll have in a group will depend on all sorts of things. Are they boring eaters who want only ramen and sushi, or will they enjoy an izakaya? Will they demand to spend a ton of time shopping or seeing temples with long lines, or will they go off the beaten track with you? Will you enjoy showing them around, or will they annoy you?
By myself, I found I ate a lot less. I would see interesting snacks and want to try them but with no one to share them with, I’d usually pass because I didn’t want to waste food. It was really easy to get tables and such, and because I like to travel at kind of a crazy pace, it’s nice not to have to worry about someone else having a bad time. I feel like Japanese people also approach me a lot more to chitchat when I’m solo, whereas they seem more intimidated or hesitant when I’m in a group or even a couple.
As a larger group (5-6 people), we often had to split up at restaurants. This was the biggest difference I found but it wasn’t too bad though. Four people is a bit of a sweet spot where it’s still pretty easy to sit together.
It depends who you travel with. Their personality, character, attitude, travel style, budget, punctuality, organisation skills.
You might see and experience a different side of your friend when you travel with them = they become high maintenance, lazy, selfish, inconsiderate, impatient, etc.
Its much easier, faster and cheaper to travel solo. You dont have to worry about anyone else. Just go do what you want and when you want to. No need to compromise or negotiate.
My group tripped turned solo last year and honestly it was fantastic.
I didn’t need to create itineraries to fit everyone’s interest. I didn’t need to worry if someone else was too tired to explore. I made new friends in a comedy bar in Shibuya and on the train to Beppu. I honestly wouldn’t have had any of those experience if I stuck with a group.
That said I can’t wait to go show my gf all the experiences I had last year this coming year
In group activities japanese themselves are very hesitant to engage with foreigners. When there’s one person that semi speaks japanese they do sometimes try to initiate stuff, if you’re a group of even 3 foreigners they frequently stay shy.
Also I will never adapt to the fact that the vast majority of friends I went to japan with doesn’t respect nor care about japanese culture whatsoever. You may be in for a surprise to what degree people disregard other cultures even if you’ve been friends for decades.
Picking restaurants is so much easier solo or in small groups. When I went solo I liked to just go for a walk and go into a restaurant that looked good. With a bigger group there’s always someone who doesn’t like something about each one. Or they only want to go to the highest rated restaurant on Google without considering that it’s probably full if it’s the highest rated.
Biggest difference is that I can’t take it slow in a group. Went with two of my friends about 7 years ago and it was just go, go, go. Max out shopping, sightseeing and walking from 9am to 11pm. Absolutely brutal.
Not a group but with my best friend who is fluent. You’re treated nicer and obviously not going to touristy areas is a lot better of an experience for me personally
I just did a group trip. And normally I’m either solo or with my partner.
I think besides following set plans. Be prepared to be flexible. I got a lot of ;Somebody wants to check something out and you know it’s a semi waste of time but have to go anyways.
This can be places, shops, restaurants etc.
I went to Japan with my sister for two weeks.
Never again.
I’m currently on one with my GF, and this trip will be my third trip and first in a group.
One of the biggest differences honestly came down to food options. Having to choose food for yourself vs having to make sure everyone is happy adds so much stress. Particularly if the person/people you’re with are somewhat picky eaters.
Another one came down to how I approached the trips as well. When I was solo I was able to explore more and interact with the culture a lot more since I had nothing else better to do after sightseeing. Now I’ve been spending time at night shopping and playing games at the arcade with my GF. Both of which have been very enjoyable to me
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