Probably, but hear me out.
**This paragraph just explains why I want to do this (Feel free to skip)**
I’m a remote high school student (18M), which is why I can even consider this idea (I switched because of a remote job I had). I’ve been struggling with procrastination, lack of motivation, battling my own mind all the time, and overthinking. I was supposed to move in with my friend and start a business together, but I realized I’m not in the condition to do that right now. I’m not ready to give up on my dreams, but I’m tired. About a week ago, I thought: “What if I just sell my investments, pack my backpack right now, and fly to Japan?” Now I don’t think about anything else. I’m obsessed with it. I have very little idea of what I’m getting myself into, which makes this even more exciting.
**I know some very basic Japanese, so I should be able to ask for help, directions, order food, etc.** When I add online dictionaries, google translate, and photo translators, I should be fine.
**I don’t know for how long I want to go, and I generally hate the idea of a pre-planned trip.** **I might be there for a few weeks or full three months.** I know I have to have a return ticket for the free visa stay, but I’m planning to refund it and buy one whenever I want. The length of my trip will most likely be decided by how long my budget lasts. I will try to make some money on the side with freelance video editing that I’ve been getting myself into lately and maybe some other online work. I hope this trip could help me become more self-reliant and enable me to tackle some of my issues.
**My questions**
I understand that some planning is necessary because of prices and availability of accommodation. Do you think I could always plan just a few days to a week ahead? I heard some people say that you should book hotels at least 3 months ahead. Is that really necessary? I want to decide when and where I will go. I plan to bring a one-person tent and a sleeping bag (I may go camping as well). My idea is that when I’m unable to find cheap accommodation in the area I’m in, I can just sleep in a tent in the corner of a nearby park. Let’s say I have a capsule hotel booked for the next 5 days but can only find cheap accommodation for the next week (Because last-minute prices are higher). I can just sleep in the corner of a park for a day or 2, and I’m fine (From what I’ve read, many people do this for their entire trip). I don’t mind any discomfort; the opposite is true. This could also be a great way to save money and lengthen my trip. That said, I still want to spend most of my nights inside and not be too cheap. What do you think about this?
I also heard about sleeping in manga cafes, which could also be an option. Do you have any experience with this?
I don’t know if it’s worth it buying a JR pass when I don’t have a schedule and I might just buy it when I need it in Japan (Maybe always just the local one). I plan to use sleeper buses a lot. I may even hitchhike. Any thoughts about this? How do you think I should approach travel?
I also thought about buying a cheap used bike for like 150 dollars from someone once I’m in Tokyo, using it to go where I want, and then selling it, giving it to someone, or leaving it somewhere before I leave.
I want to stress that discomfort is not a concern at all. If I have to be outside for a night with nowhere to go, it’s not a big deal for me. If I get stuck somewhere remote and don’t eat for a day, it’s ok. I’m only concerned about feasibility and prices. That said, I would also appreciate any tips that will make my trip better, safer, and more comfortable.
If I go, I will most likely document my journey on YouTube (Great editing practice).
**If you have any other tips, advice, or thoughts, or you want to tell me that I’m dumb, feel free to leave a comment. I appreciate it.**
4 comments
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Booking hotel 3 months ahead is not necessary. There will always be a place to sleep. That being said, I don’t know if camping in the park is a good idea. I have not seen many homeless in Japan because well, there is always a place to sleep. There are homeless in Japan but those places are not for foreigners, they don’t even show them on maps.
I’ll be interested in what people have to say.
I haven’t planned the last 10 days of my Japan trip.
One of the reasons is because they say once you get into the country and look up accommodation while in the country it is a lot cheaper compared to booking accommodation from abroad.
If you do have an attraction in mind I think it is a good idea to book your tickets in advanced.
I think having a little bit of an idea of where you want to go will be useful to you. It will help you also determine if you need a JR Pass.
I think you need a little bit more planning because even though you want to wing it, you also want to make sure you get to have all the experiences that you want while in Japan
Some thoughts:
What is your budget? The minimum for a comfortable 3 month stay in Japan I would say is $10,000. If you want to save money stay out of the Tokyo area. For example I’ve been finding very comfortable hotels lately for $50 a night in the Shizuoka regions; guest houses are probably even cheaper. Don’t forget to account for laundry. It costs $6-8 to do a set of laundry. About $10 for decent grocery store food for a day. Everything remotely fun here also costs quite a bit of money. You’ll find that the Japanese are difficult to talk with, unless you go drinking with them, which again costs money.
The one cheap thing is basic internet access. You can get a e-sim card for $15 a month for 5gb of internet, which is enough to do basic google searches and finding directions.
Sleeping bags and tents weigh quite a bit. Carrying them around 24/7 for weeks will get exhausting. You also have to remember that you have to carry around multiple changes of clothes or your money will get eaten up by laundry costs.
Camping and hobo-ing outside sounds fun until your first day of full rain. Trust me, humans need shelter for a reason and being stuck outside especially at night in the rain is not fun. The day after the rain might be even worse.
Last minute hotel prices are not higher, most of the times they are actually quite lower. If you’re fine with not getting the exact hotel at the exact location you were hoping for you can easily find rooms day before for the next night so I would not stress this at all.
What are you looking to get out of this trip? You can only walk around so much in a day, 5-6 hours and you’ll be done and will want a comfy bed to sleep in, or maybe a bar or restaurant to hit up. Might be very fun for a socially outgoing person, or if you have something to work on while resting up in a hotel room, but if you’re going to do a 3 month trip with not goal at all you will be disappointed.
My recommendation would be to do a smaller trip first, maybe 1-2 weeks, in an area near you and see how you like it first. Then you can recalibrate and adjust your plans for a trip to Japan if you still feel like doing it.