It has been while that I was thinking on posting my report of my trip that I did on October 2019.
I always wanted to visit Japan, but I couldn’t because of my situation. On February 2019, my situation changed and was able to visit Japan.
**Planning**
I started planning my trip in March and did get much information from this Subreddit. From the beginning I had known that I will be visiting Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and Hiroshima. I bought my tickets to Osaka and booked a room in Osaka for the entire trip, and I also bought the Japan Rail Pass for the two weeks. I also bought a Pocket Wi-Fi. The room in Osaka didn’t cost a lot and wasn’t far from center Osaka.
Around a month before my trip, I got an email from the host telling me they cancelled my stay. Apparently they did hit their maximum stays for the year. So I needed to find another room. I booked another room, but it was far away from center city and was a little expensive. At that time I find out that the previous room was located not far from the red-light district Tobita Shinchi. I was relieved that my stay in that room was cancelled.
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**Arrival**
The flight landed at 9AM. I got my Japan Rail Pass and Pocket Wifi and headed to my Airbnb. I arrived at the Airbnb around 12 and then got out to eat. I was planning to take a nap and then wake up and go for dinner in the city, but I woke up the next day.
**Second day**
I walked a little in Osaka around Osaka castle and then headed to Nara. I spent all the day there. I also climbed to Mount Wakakusayama.
**Third day**
I planned to stay in Tokyo for three days (Yes, I know it is too short). So I took the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo. I was really amazed by the trains. My stay in Tokyo coincided with Typhoon Hagibis. In the trains, I did the information that there will no trains from Tokyo to Osaka until the typhoon passes. When I arrived I decided to go back to Osaka as I was afraid to be blocked in Tokyo for several days. My return trains was at 5PM. So Only visited Tokyo from 11AM to 4PM. I visited Ueno Zoo.
**Fourth day**
It was the day that the typhoon will hit. It was a day of rain, but there was no danger to stay outside. I took the day to do some visiting in Osaka. I visited Umeda Sky Building, did go to one art museum and visited Kuromon Market.
**5th day**
Did a day trip to Kyoto and like everyone, I visited the temples. As I was a solo traveler and I hate staying a lot of time in one place, I visited a lot of places in one day.
**6th day**
I took the train to Kinosaki Onsen. I really wanted to experience Onsens. I put my travel bag in a locker and headed to the Onsen. I bought a ticket that allow you to enter to all the Onsens. The first thing I noticed is you can’t stay for a long time in the water. I felt dizzy just after 10 minutes in the water.
When I did go out, my key that I got in the Onsen couldn’t open my locker where I put my shoes. I was trying to explain to the person there that the key isn’t working, but he kept making no sign. A woman entered and translated to me what he was saying, he was trying to tell me that is not the right and I must search my bag. I looked to my, but I was sure that it is the key I got, but then I found another key in my bag, and it was in different color. Apparently I took the key from the luggage locker. I think because of the dizziness from the Onsen I forgot about it. It was a such embarrassing moment.
The day I was there, there was a traditional event. I climbed to Kinosakicho Yushima and then hit two other Onsens.
For the night, I stayed in a Guesthouse in Takeno. I really liked the experience of being in the countryside of Japan. In the guesthouse I met with three people from my country, I didn’t expect that.
**7th day**
I woke early to walk in the beach. There were people from the village that were cleaning the garbage that came from the sea. After that I took the train to Tottori station, the views from trains were amazing. I walked from there to Tottori Sand Dunes. I also visited The Sand Museum.
I took the train to my Airbnb situated in a some village in Daisen. I was amazed that the small villages are accessible by trains even in the evening. In my country, you can’t go anywhere if you live in a medium-sized village without a car.
My host was amazing, she met with me in the station. She then asked me if I want to go to an Onsen, so I told her yes, thinking the Onsen is just around the corner. But then she goes and get out the car. We arrived at the onsen, but it was closed that day, and she kept apologizing. Again, there were two people from my country in the same AirBnb.
**8th day**
I spent the morning in Hokuei where I visited the Detective Conan museum. In the afternoon, I decided to go visit Sanbutsu-ji temple. When I arrived at the entry, I was informed that I can’t go to the mountain alone, and I must be accompanied by another person. Fortunately there was a family that was just ahead of me, and they accepted to join them. It was a girl with her old parent (the father is 75 years old). It wasn’t an easy hike, but the father succeeded to get to reach the temple grounds. We did have a little conversation as he knows a little of English. When we were on the return bus, he started asking me if I like Japanese girls and if I was single. The bus arrived at my destination, so I didn’t have the chance to ask him why he was asking that question. I’m still wondering why that question.
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I stopped at Misasa to spend some time in on onsen. It was late and dark when I left the Onsen. I walked for like an hour, and I was surprised by the roads, I was afraid that I will be walking on the cars roads. But there was a road for walking and for bicycle (something I can’t find in my country in the small villages). When I arrived at my Airbnb, I decided to go to eat in the only restaurant of the village (yakiniku). The owner tried to explain to me the menu using some speak and translate device, but I didn’t understand anything. I did hear the word “cow” and then I told him that I will eat anything from the menu, and I was satisfied.
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**9th day**
I woke up early to take the train to Matsue and at the station I was surprised to see my Airbnb host running to me. She followed me to give me back the 500 yens I gave her for the onsen ticket I didn’t use. Before going to Matsue I visited Mizuki Shigeru Museum and I walked in the city. In the afternoon I visited Matsue castle and after that I took the train to Hiroshima where I stayed in a hostel. I chose some random small okonomiyaki restaurant to eat. The owner and his wife started conversing with me, even though they don’t speak English.
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**10th day**
I spent the day at Miyajimacho a hiked Mt. Misen. In the afternoon I decided to go eat at an Izakaya, but I was afraid that I will be refused because I was alone, but it wasn’t an issue. I asked for the two-person menu and the waitress warned that I won’t finish it, but I proved her wrong, though it was difficult at the end.
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**11th day**
I decided to return to Hirochima and visit the Peace Memorial Museum. It was hard for me to not cry when seeing all the images and reading all the horror stories after the bombing. In the afternoon, I did visit Hemiji castle.
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**12th day**
In the morning, I visited Kyoto Railway Museum. I didn’t do anything special in the afternoon, I was just walking in the city in Osaka. I met some people from this subreddit, and we spent the evening together.
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**13th day**
I signed for a cooking lesson with Eat Osaka. It was situated near my first AirBnb. I visited the red district Tobita Shinchi, I felt secure and everything is clean. It wasn’t how I was imagining it. I did the cooking lesson, and then I started walking in the city.
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**14th day**
Last day.
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**Food**
The food was amazing, and it was my first time eating ramen, and I loved it. The food in the supermarket is pretty good.
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**Onsen**
Going to an onsen is one of the things you should do when going to Japan. It is really relaxing, I walked a lot but after staying an onsen I didn’t feel any pain.
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**People**
Before going to Japan, one of my colleagues told me he experienced racism when he visited Japan and people will not sit near you in the train or subway. I didn’t experience any of that, and many Japanese people started conversing with me and were helpful.
15 comments
Thank you so much for sharing your experience 🙂
If you don’t mind, I have a couple of questions from your story:
1. Do you remember the name of the Izakaya where you ordered and eat that meal for two people? What did they bring you to eat?
2. You mentioned something about a ticket to stay in several onsens (and some where located in different areas, like mountains and stuff like that). How does that work?
Have a nice day 🙂
Before going to Japan for the first time, I had heard about people talking about Japanese not sitting next to them in train and how they felt it’s a form of racism. So I kept an eye open and actually, people would sit next to me, yes it can happen that people change place if I sit next to them, but I also saw people switch seat when sitting next to other Japanese person. And the thing is, we do not know why they do. I think you are also quite sensitive if you feel this is racist and that you had to mention if when talking about your trip to Japan.
As a tourist, the most common negative thing that I’ve head of is being refused service in a restaurant, but it’s more for a question of language than race. This is likely coming from people who had problem with explaining things or offering proper service to people who do not speak Japanese.
Actually, if people do not like you because of your ethnicity, they are more likely to ignore you.
But I think it’s much more common to ear about experience like what you had, with people that are nice and helpful. I do have my share of story of talking with people and even sometime getting a lift.
Thanks to both of you 🙂
I was deeply attracted by Japanese cuisine when I went to Japan for the first time, so I didn’t go to many places. I hope someone can take me to visit more places next time.
I went to Tokyo alone when I was 18, i was in my last months of high school and it was my first time outside of the U.S. hands down best experience of my life, I felt like I grew up immensely during my week in Japan. It’s such a beautiful country and Tokyo is a beautiful city. I’ll never forget my first real thought when I got to the Hotel in Shinjuku and looked down at the city, I was amazed yet nervous.
I’m going to be doing pretty much the exact same trip. Would you mind giving a rough estimate of how much one should save after plane ticket has been purchased? I already have my ticket for June 2022.
So that means your Tokyo visit ended up getting swapped for Tottori and Shimane?
Kudos, You did pretty well! Would you mind sharing some pics to this subreddit of your trip?
I’m glad to see you went to Kinosaki Onsen. I was there a few years ago and it was one of the most memorable places I stopped at on that trip. I found the town at night to be so beautiful with the lights from the onsens lighting the trees and bridges by the river, and the laughing groups of people running to and fro in their Yukata and geta visiting the various onsens. The experience was unlike any I had had in any other onsen town.
What was also an amazing adventure was the journey to get there. We traveled north from Okayama City and the further we went into the country side, the smaller and smaller the trains got, until finally the last train was an old brightly coloured local train with just two cars.
Congratulations on what sounds like a great trip. Here’s hoping you get a chance to visit Japan again.
I love doing Japan solo. Your review sounds like you had a great time!
How much do I need to save for a 2 week travel to Japan?
Nice
Why do people get the pocket wifi instead of just getting a SIM card for their phone? What’s the benefit?
I have plans for a solo trip in March, coming from the US (hopefully). I haven’t been able to find a good explanation for this question.
Wait how are you getting in? I heard Japan was closed indefinitely because the Rona is so deadly and the dead bodies pilling on the streets so I cancelled my trip 🙁
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