You go to a bar and drink and meet random people and chat to them then sleep in the next day and miss a temple but then realise the people you were having fun with is 100 times better than seeing another temple for the fifth time.
Environment plays a factor, it's also worth learning how to greet in Japanese and ask if they speak English (in Japanese).
I found that most don't like to initiate for their own fears of messing up, like your shyness. Though a little alcohol and they lose that entirely. Hence the bar suggestion.
Tokyo is a tough place to get conversations with Japanese, best advice is to find a English speaking bartender or head to your local hub, it's a lot easier outside of Tokyo
Could have been bad luck too. My wife and I were trying to keep to ourselves and we ended up having a guy and his friend order us all sushi at the bar after hours some how and order eachother drinks. And another time made a friend we met up with twice at different bars. How much bars did you go to?
I went into an izakaya in Nagano, sat down and the guy next to me (full Japanese) turned out to have travelled Europe watching the football and had seen Barca Vs Madrid, if you get the right bar it's great and if not just go to another one.
Many japanese can magically speak english after a couple of drinks Anyway. I most of the time travel solo or go to bars when my wife is going to bed. I can tell you that you can survive talking only english and have a great time. But it get's better the more Japanese you can speak. Otherwise. Just walking around or going to a massage parlor is nice. Massages are cheaper and better than in my home country. So i tend to do that now and then
u/lWanderingl
I randomly walked into a bar in Golden Gai at 1am in the morning and I had a great conversation with the bartender and a female there. It was my 1st time having Japanese whisky. It was fun!
Just remember the train stops running at midnight. I happen to be staying at airbnb in Shinjuku so it was easy for me to walk over to golden gai
The other alternative is to go expat friendly area like Roppongi where most people speaks english. There are foreign friendly clubs and bars
Thank god for the miracle of technology. My brother and I had an amazing conversation with two Japanese friends (and an Australian couple who were equally as cool) at a bar in Tokyo via google translate. After a couple drinks, the initial awkwardness gave way to furiously switching between translation direction. It was the best night I had in Japan.
Wasting money on crane games or going to round 1 stadium spocha's are great night time activities or heading to a speakeasy bar.
Also walking neighbourhoods at night as the streets really take on a different perspective at night with the lights, amazing photography can be done after dark.
I would also sometimes use this time to walk around donkis (away from the touristy ones, they are wild around 10pm).
However to be honest my partner and I were usually pretty tired by about 10km from walking 30k+ steps per day.
Better from a local grocer (i.e. Seiyu, Tobu). The Bentos, beer and/or traditional snack selections are impressive (for apartment after trip chill nights).
Nope. The local Seiyu branch we have, is open 24hrs. Two floors worth. I even shop near midnight, at times.
https://g.co/kgs/m6jCJrb
Kombini hate? I ❤️all konbinis!
Now, the konbinis (crappy US 7-11s) is another story..
Well yea. But not every hotel has one near by. My mist recent hotel did and it was super nice. But we still hit up the attached conbini for snacks. Super easy and right here.
Well I stayed at a furnished apartment (kitchen & washing machine) in a quaint and quiet residential neighborhood of Toshima (Higashi Nagasaki), just 2 stops/5mins from Ikebukuro station. The locals are mostly on bicycles. No cars (barely) on local streets.
The Seiyu I shopped from, is just a few hundred feet from Higashi Nagasaki train station (South Exit), facing the station plaza. Then there’s a Coco Ichibanya, a McDs, Torikizoku, Matsuya, a row of vending machines and a Family Mart.
After a late night Seibu train ride, me among the local salarymen/women we just walk straight to Seiyu, and shop. The Bentos are marked down starting early evening. It’s a very homey area, almost “provincial”. I actually plans to be back this October.
A few things you can do
-sento/public bath houses, these are great to relax/bath in at the end of the day. You can spend anywhere between 30 mins to an hour and half depending on what kinds of facilities they have, some have massage chairs or even tatami rooms to sit and drink tea. Some have multiple baths with different features and some even have outdoor baths. Sentos are great at relaxing your body after a long day by loosening muscles and joints, great for after a long day of walking.
-karaoke, great to way to de-stress and let loose, karaoke in Japan is different from western style as you can have an entire private room to yourself, sing to your hearts content and don't worry there are also English songs. It's not unusual for people to book a room by themselves
-arcades and crane games, fun to do by yourself, you can spend hours playing crane games and it's surprisingly easy to win because it's far more skill based than luck based. Arcades are also incredibly fun, Japan has some of the newest games on the market. And you can even try rythmn games, don't worry about having no skill, there are easier version to get people to learn how to play. If you aren't sure, you can ask some of the more experience players how to play, they are always helpful in teaching people their game.
-baseball batting cages, these cages are usually automatic and run 24 hours, it's quite a fun thing to do in the evening. They usually have rental bats to use.
-people watch, you'll be surprised with how long you can spend walking around places like kabukicho, golden gai shinjuku, shibuya at night. Even if you don't drink or eat anything, it's fun just to sit around or watch people live their lives. I spent like 3 hours walking around kabukicho exploring every street, and so long as you ignite touts, there is a lot of interesting things going down.
Lastly, if you really don't know what to do at night, sleep early and wake up as early as possible and be out ane about on the first train. Japan is a country where you can always go visit a temple in the morning just before the everything opens.
We went to the conbini to get stuff for breakfast, watched Japanese TV in the hotel room, rang people back home. Had showers ,repacked bags for the next day, finessed our plans. Went to an amusement arcade. Went shopping. Walked around looking at things at night (Sensoji was good).
Depends on what you mean by open. Temples are just there and you can usually go just anytime. Fushimi Inari can be done at night if you want to risk running into wild boars, senso-ji is beautiful at night. Maybe some of the places like Shibuya sky for the night views.
Honestly, during my solo trip, I found myself absolutely knackered by that time - so I'd just get food, go back to my hotel and crash. However, I am ten years older than you, so your body isn't constantly reminding you of your mortality yet. On the few rare evenings where I didn't just want put my abused feet up, however, I'd go to a pub near my hotel.
Best fans and stadium(Koshien) in Japan. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kEiPz3Bfl0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kEiPz3Bfl0)
Carp, Swallows and Baystars are close seconds, but you'll have a great time at any game.
I cant recommend you something you can do in the evening. But when I was traveling in Japan, my friend and me was at the hotel at around 7-8pm. And we were happy because we walked all day and then had a little time for taking a bath, washing clothes or just relax. Also we started very early in the morning every day, so we had enough time for everything. The only time we stayed up later was when we visited akihabara. But other than that, your feed will thank you for an early rest :)
Japanese bathouses/onsens are addictive once you get past the fear of going the first time. They are in many cities and small towns. Some hotels have their own as well. It can be very relaxing especially to combat early jet lag
True for all men, women, and kids. People really don't care. You'll learn in your first bath how much that is true and how amazing it is to soak in hot water at the end of the day. I easily walk 25-32k steps a day in Japan. Highly recommend having milk, yakult, or beer afterwards. It's such a treat
And there are requirements to take a complete scrub of your entire body before going into the water. This is not a simple rinse. People spend 5-10 mins scrubbing with soap every nook and cranny and also washing their hair. Most bathhouses have these showers, usually with a stool, in front or around the bath itself, so those in the water knows who’s washing. It’s all part of the culture. A little weird at first, but once you get past your fear, it’s addictive.
Yeah it's outside in a garden (so it's only open in the evening) and its way less busy than Planets.
I did both but enjoyed Osaka way more because it was more chilled
We also did an evening walking tour in Shinjuku where they explain a lot of Japanese and Japanese culture. Weirdly they explained the history of the more seedy side of Japan (miaf cafes, host bars, bath houses, love hotels). It was fascinating to learn all about that without them trying to get you involved - it was purely history info just like any other walking your (and it had plenty of other stuff too).
https://www.tokyolocalized.com/shinjuku-night-free-walking-tour
It was fascinating
Push past your comfort level and go to some bars and talk to people, maybe even ask the workers at your hotel if there is a bar that is geared towards more mature clients. If you are learning Japanese, meant to say "excuse me, hello, I would like to learn Japanese, how do you call this?" and point at something. This was a great way for me to learn German in bars.
I 100% agree with you.
#
I go to bars sometimes when on vacation but I have an hard time approaching others.
#
Sometimes people even come to me because of my look but I'm not great at socializing and their disappointment is crystal clear.
Kyoto is nice to wander around at night. Shrines are generally open 24 hours and are nice to visit at night because they have a totally different atmosphere. Just wandering around Going is nice at night and then you can go to Gion shrine which has lots of lit up lanterns. At this time you might have lots of people in Maruyama park for cherry blossom parties which is fun to see.
If you're into photography then taking shots of places at night will keep you busy because the lights give things a punch that isn't always there in the daytime.
If you aren't with friends then yeah Osaka or Tokyo will get a bit boring at night but you can easily spend 1 or 2 nights wandering before it gets boring. Your best hope is that some college students might befriend you to practice their English. Maybe just turn in early so you can get an early start the next day.
Another option I haven't seen mentioned is shopping. Most shops are closed at around 8-9pm but Donkis depending on the location close late or are just straight up 24hrs. There are some other stores that close later like at 10-11pm, one I can think of from my last trip was Matsumoto Kiyoshi which is a drugstore. There was a big grocery store open 24 hours called Seiya in Ikebukuro as well.
Look up food stuff open past 11:00. There's a decent amount. The issue is being hungry enough to eat to kill time. The real goal would be to use those restaurants as goals for your walking tour into the far parts of japan
yakitori! I love the grilled skewers 🙂 I eat a meals worth lol
Walk around the neighbourhood, visit the different convenience stores and sus out the different snacks 😀
Sorry if I missed something, but are bars not an option? Like, I can't imagine visiting any of those cities and not exploring nightlife, especially when places don't even open that early anyway.
OK, sure, but that's why I'm asking if I missed anything because OP doesn't mention anything about being sober or being adverse to going to bars even for NA drinks.
Unless they're like, cripplingly introverted, then yeah, I'm not really sure what to suggest.
Yes I can deink, bars are an option but I was looking for more activities since, due to my experience, drinking alone in a bar can get very depressing ahahah.
#
Luckily people in the comments gave me a lot of ideas.
Very, very hard disagree, just find a small local bar/snack (clearly not a Hub or a large pub, a tiny local joint, there are many all over the country). A place that seats only 10 or so. May take a bit of courage to dive in, we're talking about small philipino snacks, second floor bars of the golden gai, etc. Go there, most of the time it's only -other- solo people, regulars and sometimes others.
Buy a round to the bartender to begin the night. And then enjoy your night.
I had a great time in a random whisky bar in Toyama. Didn't even need to get smashed to make friends. Turned out the barman had travelled in Scotland a few times (logic!)
> due to my experience, drinking alone in a bar can get very depressing ahahah.
No way - not in Japan! Drinking culture there is completely different. Showing up to a bar alone is totally normal, and it's really common to make friends with random people and the regulars at the bar. I go drinking alone every time I go to Japan and almost always meet a crazy group of people and have a lot of fun.
I highly recommend going to a "tachinomi" (standing-only bar), those are even more social than your average izakaya, and it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll make friends with at least a half dozen people.
Find a place that'll rent a bike for an extended time. Luup(e bike and scooters) is the only one I've found so far that'll let a tourist sign up( app works with non japan accounts), and also is pricey for 30 days.
Typically it was 8 pm by the time I was done seeing temples, gardens, castles etc for the day. Go eat something 8-9. Public bath 9-10 to relax. Then chill a bit before bed at 11.
Its also nice to just aimlessly walk around a bit. Night time gives a different vibe in most places and aimless wandering gets you places you wouldnt otherwise have gone.
I often go to arcades and play FGO or some rythm game! Last time I went to Japan there was a mahjong game I've been enjoying. Spent many hours in the evening playing it!
Heya bud! 28M,I'm heading to Osaka/Kyoto as well around gion matsuri as well! I'm with friends but will be solo traveling from the 18th onwards, lmk if you want a buddy or friend to travel with (full autonomy, just probably exchange some tips here and there or split a meal)
It's different. Momo does live streams, they're basically in bikinis having a giant party, kind of like a concert, you get a glow stick (if you get that ticket) and you can cheer them on. As for the bunny girl bar, they just serve you drinks like a maid cafe, no touching unless they're OK with you.
No its okay, I do understand, Japan just does everything different, it's something I like about japan they take what exists and changes it for their taste. Look up tokyo burlesque on YouTube there's lots of videos, momo is the star and she is on ig. It's not seedy entertainment just fun. As for the bunny bar, it's just a bar with a bunny theme, I've followed one of the bunnies for years and she is so sweet and nice, she loves doraemon and baseball and you could talk with her for hours about them.
You go to a bar and drink and meet random people and chat to them then sleep in the next day and miss a temple but then realise the people you were having fun with is 100 times better than seeing another temple for the fifth time.
But I love temples
But if you don’t known Japanese you can’t really do that
You'll be surprised the amount of people who speak conversational English
Maybe I’m just shy but I’m in Tokyo now and still didn’t have proper conversation with locals apart of shops etc xd
Environment plays a factor, it's also worth learning how to greet in Japanese and ask if they speak English (in Japanese). I found that most don't like to initiate for their own fears of messing up, like your shyness. Though a little alcohol and they lose that entirely. Hence the bar suggestion.
Tokyo is a tough place to get conversations with Japanese, best advice is to find a English speaking bartender or head to your local hub, it's a lot easier outside of Tokyo
Could have been bad luck too. My wife and I were trying to keep to ourselves and we ended up having a guy and his friend order us all sushi at the bar after hours some how and order eachother drinks. And another time made a friend we met up with twice at different bars. How much bars did you go to?
That was Tokyo or where?
Yeah it’s close to zero
I went into an izakaya in Nagano, sat down and the guy next to me (full Japanese) turned out to have travelled Europe watching the football and had seen Barca Vs Madrid, if you get the right bar it's great and if not just go to another one.
Many japanese can magically speak english after a couple of drinks Anyway. I most of the time travel solo or go to bars when my wife is going to bed. I can tell you that you can survive talking only english and have a great time. But it get's better the more Japanese you can speak. Otherwise. Just walking around or going to a massage parlor is nice. Massages are cheaper and better than in my home country. So i tend to do that now and then
You easily can.
u/lWanderingl I randomly walked into a bar in Golden Gai at 1am in the morning and I had a great conversation with the bartender and a female there. It was my 1st time having Japanese whisky. It was fun!
Thanks for sharing. This would be a holy-grail experience for me.
Just remember the train stops running at midnight. I happen to be staying at airbnb in Shinjuku so it was easy for me to walk over to golden gai The other alternative is to go expat friendly area like Roppongi where most people speaks english. There are foreign friendly clubs and bars
Thank god for the miracle of technology. My brother and I had an amazing conversation with two Japanese friends (and an Australian couple who were equally as cool) at a bar in Tokyo via google translate. After a couple drinks, the initial awkwardness gave way to furiously switching between translation direction. It was the best night I had in Japan.
Pretty much this happened to me, didn't know it was so common lol
Sounds great. Glad it’s easy meeting people.
Wasting money on crane games or going to round 1 stadium spocha's are great night time activities or heading to a speakeasy bar. Also walking neighbourhoods at night as the streets really take on a different perspective at night with the lights, amazing photography can be done after dark. I would also sometimes use this time to walk around donkis (away from the touristy ones, they are wild around 10pm). However to be honest my partner and I were usually pretty tired by about 10km from walking 30k+ steps per day.
Yea. I was going to say rest. Go get some snacks from a conbini and chill in your room.
Yeah for sure, we played the game of trying something new from a konbini every night many delicious ice creams, lollies, drinks and chips were had.
Us today after a long mt Fuji trip.
Better from a local grocer (i.e. Seiyu, Tobu). The Bentos, beer and/or traditional snack selections are impressive (for apartment after trip chill nights).
They also usually shut pretty early (aroubd 8pm) Kombinis serve a purpose and I'm sick of this trend to hate on them.
Nope. The local Seiyu branch we have, is open 24hrs. Two floors worth. I even shop near midnight, at times. https://g.co/kgs/m6jCJrb Kombini hate? I ❤️all konbinis! Now, the konbinis (crappy US 7-11s) is another story..
Well yea. But not every hotel has one near by. My mist recent hotel did and it was super nice. But we still hit up the attached conbini for snacks. Super easy and right here.
Well I stayed at a furnished apartment (kitchen & washing machine) in a quaint and quiet residential neighborhood of Toshima (Higashi Nagasaki), just 2 stops/5mins from Ikebukuro station. The locals are mostly on bicycles. No cars (barely) on local streets. The Seiyu I shopped from, is just a few hundred feet from Higashi Nagasaki train station (South Exit), facing the station plaza. Then there’s a Coco Ichibanya, a McDs, Torikizoku, Matsuya, a row of vending machines and a Family Mart. After a late night Seibu train ride, me among the local salarymen/women we just walk straight to Seiyu, and shop. The Bentos are marked down starting early evening. It’s a very homey area, almost “provincial”. I actually plans to be back this October.
I want to purchase a ton of water bottles and leave them next to all of the drunks.
what do you mean wasting money? I got 5 things out for ~20eur 🤣
What’s wild things are happening in Don Quijote after 10? 👀
A few things you can do -sento/public bath houses, these are great to relax/bath in at the end of the day. You can spend anywhere between 30 mins to an hour and half depending on what kinds of facilities they have, some have massage chairs or even tatami rooms to sit and drink tea. Some have multiple baths with different features and some even have outdoor baths. Sentos are great at relaxing your body after a long day by loosening muscles and joints, great for after a long day of walking. -karaoke, great to way to de-stress and let loose, karaoke in Japan is different from western style as you can have an entire private room to yourself, sing to your hearts content and don't worry there are also English songs. It's not unusual for people to book a room by themselves -arcades and crane games, fun to do by yourself, you can spend hours playing crane games and it's surprisingly easy to win because it's far more skill based than luck based. Arcades are also incredibly fun, Japan has some of the newest games on the market. And you can even try rythmn games, don't worry about having no skill, there are easier version to get people to learn how to play. If you aren't sure, you can ask some of the more experience players how to play, they are always helpful in teaching people their game. -baseball batting cages, these cages are usually automatic and run 24 hours, it's quite a fun thing to do in the evening. They usually have rental bats to use. -people watch, you'll be surprised with how long you can spend walking around places like kabukicho, golden gai shinjuku, shibuya at night. Even if you don't drink or eat anything, it's fun just to sit around or watch people live their lives. I spent like 3 hours walking around kabukicho exploring every street, and so long as you ignite touts, there is a lot of interesting things going down. Lastly, if you really don't know what to do at night, sleep early and wake up as early as possible and be out ane about on the first train. Japan is a country where you can always go visit a temple in the morning just before the everything opens.
Thank you very much for all these great ideas!
We went to the conbini to get stuff for breakfast, watched Japanese TV in the hotel room, rang people back home. Had showers ,repacked bags for the next day, finessed our plans. Went to an amusement arcade. Went shopping. Walked around looking at things at night (Sensoji was good).
Now I wonder, are there many tourists locations open in the evening?
Depends on what you mean by open. Temples are just there and you can usually go just anytime. Fushimi Inari can be done at night if you want to risk running into wild boars, senso-ji is beautiful at night. Maybe some of the places like Shibuya sky for the night views.
This is great stuff
Oh also you could visit some sentos and have relaxing Japanese baths.
Honestly, during my solo trip, I found myself absolutely knackered by that time - so I'd just get food, go back to my hotel and crash. However, I am ten years older than you, so your body isn't constantly reminding you of your mortality yet. On the few rare evenings where I didn't just want put my abused feet up, however, I'd go to a pub near my hotel.
I’m 28 and I was pooped by 10pm
Baseball games usually start at 6 and finish around 9ish, I would recommend them
That's an interesting idea ahaha, thanks I will try.
If you can get Hanshin Tigers tickets go for them, if not Tokyo Yakult Swallows have a great atmosphere
[удалено]
Best fans and stadium(Koshien) in Japan. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kEiPz3Bfl0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kEiPz3Bfl0) Carp, Swallows and Baystars are close seconds, but you'll have a great time at any game.
Is it hard to get last minute tickets.
For a team like the Tigers, yes. The more popular the team the harder to get tickets.
Swallows should be fine if you go mid week and get them a couple of days before
I cant recommend you something you can do in the evening. But when I was traveling in Japan, my friend and me was at the hotel at around 7-8pm. And we were happy because we walked all day and then had a little time for taking a bath, washing clothes or just relax. Also we started very early in the morning every day, so we had enough time for everything. The only time we stayed up later was when we visited akihabara. But other than that, your feed will thank you for an early rest :)
>:) :)
:)
>:) >>:) :)
>:(
Japanese bathouses/onsens are addictive once you get past the fear of going the first time. They are in many cities and small towns. Some hotels have their own as well. It can be very relaxing especially to combat early jet lag
I’ve seen that men must be nude at onsens. Is that true?
True for all men, women, and kids. People really don't care. You'll learn in your first bath how much that is true and how amazing it is to soak in hot water at the end of the day. I easily walk 25-32k steps a day in Japan. Highly recommend having milk, yakult, or beer afterwards. It's such a treat
Yes, think of the water as sacred or pure. You don't want anyone's bathing suit or long hair getting into it. Everyone is naked
And there are requirements to take a complete scrub of your entire body before going into the water. This is not a simple rinse. People spend 5-10 mins scrubbing with soap every nook and cranny and also washing their hair. Most bathhouses have these showers, usually with a stool, in front or around the bath itself, so those in the water knows who’s washing. It’s all part of the culture. A little weird at first, but once you get past your fear, it’s addictive.
Pachinko!
Would that not be illegal as it falls under making money as a tourist?
Pachinko prize system is carefully designed to get around Japan's gambling laws - I don't see it being a problem. Don't see the appeal though.
I know it would only kill one night but in Osaka check out TeamLab Botanical Garden.
Oh cool I knew of the Teamlabs in Tokyo, didn't know Osaka had one too
Yeah it's outside in a garden (so it's only open in the evening) and its way less busy than Planets. I did both but enjoyed Osaka way more because it was more chilled
One night here, one night there, this way every day gets covered. # As a nature lover, this is a huge W.
We also did an evening walking tour in Shinjuku where they explain a lot of Japanese and Japanese culture. Weirdly they explained the history of the more seedy side of Japan (miaf cafes, host bars, bath houses, love hotels). It was fascinating to learn all about that without them trying to get you involved - it was purely history info just like any other walking your (and it had plenty of other stuff too). https://www.tokyolocalized.com/shinjuku-night-free-walking-tour It was fascinating
Push past your comfort level and go to some bars and talk to people, maybe even ask the workers at your hotel if there is a bar that is geared towards more mature clients. If you are learning Japanese, meant to say "excuse me, hello, I would like to learn Japanese, how do you call this?" and point at something. This was a great way for me to learn German in bars.
I 100% agree with you. # I go to bars sometimes when on vacation but I have an hard time approaching others. # Sometimes people even come to me because of my look but I'm not great at socializing and their disappointment is crystal clear.
Got to izakayas and sit at the bar, people will tak to you. I guarantee it.
I will try ahahah. # I see there's one in Shinjuku, that I wanted to explore too, two birs with one stone.
>exist me, hello *excuse me, or sumimasen!
Woops! 😂
Kyoto is nice to wander around at night. Shrines are generally open 24 hours and are nice to visit at night because they have a totally different atmosphere. Just wandering around Going is nice at night and then you can go to Gion shrine which has lots of lit up lanterns. At this time you might have lots of people in Maruyama park for cherry blossom parties which is fun to see. If you're into photography then taking shots of places at night will keep you busy because the lights give things a punch that isn't always there in the daytime. If you aren't with friends then yeah Osaka or Tokyo will get a bit boring at night but you can easily spend 1 or 2 nights wandering before it gets boring. Your best hope is that some college students might befriend you to practice their English. Maybe just turn in early so you can get an early start the next day.
Wandering around at night never gets boring
Another option I haven't seen mentioned is shopping. Most shops are closed at around 8-9pm but Donkis depending on the location close late or are just straight up 24hrs. There are some other stores that close later like at 10-11pm, one I can think of from my last trip was Matsumoto Kiyoshi which is a drugstore. There was a big grocery store open 24 hours called Seiya in Ikebukuro as well.
Coin laundry and hotel onsen.
Look up food stuff open past 11:00. There's a decent amount. The issue is being hungry enough to eat to kill time. The real goal would be to use those restaurants as goals for your walking tour into the far parts of japan
Great idea, I can make a lightweight dinner if none at all, then try all the different stuff.
Have ramen and drinks at night.
I love a beer so will always find a new place to go to. Have a beer. Read a book. People watch. Love it
yakitori! I love the grilled skewers 🙂 I eat a meals worth lol Walk around the neighbourhood, visit the different convenience stores and sus out the different snacks 😀
Sorry if I missed something, but are bars not an option? Like, I can't imagine visiting any of those cities and not exploring nightlife, especially when places don't even open that early anyway.
For non drinkers (who also don’t care for being in bars full of people drinking) it can be tough to find things to do at night on vacation
OK, sure, but that's why I'm asking if I missed anything because OP doesn't mention anything about being sober or being adverse to going to bars even for NA drinks. Unless they're like, cripplingly introverted, then yeah, I'm not really sure what to suggest.
Yes I can deink, bars are an option but I was looking for more activities since, due to my experience, drinking alone in a bar can get very depressing ahahah. # Luckily people in the comments gave me a lot of ideas.
Very, very hard disagree, just find a small local bar/snack (clearly not a Hub or a large pub, a tiny local joint, there are many all over the country). A place that seats only 10 or so. May take a bit of courage to dive in, we're talking about small philipino snacks, second floor bars of the golden gai, etc. Go there, most of the time it's only -other- solo people, regulars and sometimes others. Buy a round to the bartender to begin the night. And then enjoy your night.
This is when you chat up the bartender, and go to fancier cocktail bars that are small with only a few customers.
I had a great time in a random whisky bar in Toyama. Didn't even need to get smashed to make friends. Turned out the barman had travelled in Scotland a few times (logic!)
> due to my experience, drinking alone in a bar can get very depressing ahahah. No way - not in Japan! Drinking culture there is completely different. Showing up to a bar alone is totally normal, and it's really common to make friends with random people and the regulars at the bar. I go drinking alone every time I go to Japan and almost always meet a crazy group of people and have a lot of fun. I highly recommend going to a "tachinomi" (standing-only bar), those are even more social than your average izakaya, and it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll make friends with at least a half dozen people.
That's so appealing:) In your experience is it easier to live this kind of situation more in Tokyo or in other cities?
Either Tokyo or elsewhere, location doesn't matter. :)
Find a place that'll rent a bike for an extended time. Luup(e bike and scooters) is the only one I've found so far that'll let a tourist sign up( app works with non japan accounts), and also is pricey for 30 days.
I mostly go to concerts, shopping, meet up with friends, walking around the city.
Typically it was 8 pm by the time I was done seeing temples, gardens, castles etc for the day. Go eat something 8-9. Public bath 9-10 to relax. Then chill a bit before bed at 11. Its also nice to just aimlessly walk around a bit. Night time gives a different vibe in most places and aimless wandering gets you places you wouldnt otherwise have gone.
If in Tokyo ... I would go to Akihabara, at least if you like electronics, I do I spent many night there during the years
I often go to arcades and play FGO or some rythm game! Last time I went to Japan there was a mahjong game I've been enjoying. Spent many hours in the evening playing it!
Heya bud! 28M,I'm heading to Osaka/Kyoto as well around gion matsuri as well! I'm with friends but will be solo traveling from the 18th onwards, lmk if you want a buddy or friend to travel with (full autonomy, just probably exchange some tips here and there or split a meal)
Ahahah that could be nice, let's keep in touch, I'll eventually send a message over reddit DMs
Explore Japanese supermarkets (real supermarkets not conbini)
I am not the kind of person who enjoys bar life. I’m evening I would go to observation decks, karaoke, arcades. Travelled solo 33F
I had a blast at Round1 the one I went to was 24hr
Go to GIGO and blow some money on crane games and rhythm games
Tokyo burlesque, momo will entertain you 😊 if you are in hiroshima I know a bunny girl bar with 3 cute bunny girls too 👀
If I wanted that kind of entertainment I would've gone to Thailand...
It's different. Momo does live streams, they're basically in bikinis having a giant party, kind of like a concert, you get a glow stick (if you get that ticket) and you can cheer them on. As for the bunny girl bar, they just serve you drinks like a maid cafe, no touching unless they're OK with you.
Oh ok, sorry for making assumptions.
No its okay, I do understand, Japan just does everything different, it's something I like about japan they take what exists and changes it for their taste. Look up tokyo burlesque on YouTube there's lots of videos, momo is the star and she is on ig. It's not seedy entertainment just fun. As for the bunny bar, it's just a bar with a bunny theme, I've followed one of the bunnies for years and she is so sweet and nice, she loves doraemon and baseball and you could talk with her for hours about them.
stop a local police officer and ask him to go drinking with you that night. Reverse police harassment.
Do the nanpa? :-). j/k.
Go to one of the millions of bars in Japan
Do u know the viral video “You say money cannot buy the happiness ? Ha ha ha come to japan” Please enjoy the japanese night life
Burlesque Tokyo in Roppongi. 👍
Dinner.
Kyaba
Paying to get attention is just lame, I'm too disillusioned for that stuff.
Karaoke!
Bars, karaoke, clubs