traveling alone

Hi, im traveling to Japan alone march 1., and having read alot online I still have a few questions:?


how well do japanese people understand english?

I get the impression that many japanese people dont talk to strangers. how easy is it to get to know people? are they reluctant to get to know scandinavian people.

budget wise; how much per night for a 3 star hotel in a city like Osaka, Tokyo etc?

Will it be easy to get around on the metro even if you cant understand any japanese?

im gratefull for any answer:ramen:

Hi Peder and welcome to the forum ! :wave:

Most younger Japanese have at least some knowledge of English. The problem is that many are too shy to speak or to anxious to talk to foreigners, unless they are used to dealing with foreigners in their job or during their free time. You have more chance of finding English speakers in big cities, but people will usually be more helpful in the countryside, and sometimes will go at length to try to understand a lost foreigner or find someone who can.

In general (but their are always lots of exceptions), the younger the people the most Westerner-friendly they will be.

The price of hotels can vary a lot, but you can get something very decent for 10-15,000 yen (90 to 140 euro). Some cheaper 4 or 5-star hotels can have rooms for 15,000 yen too. A basic business hotel will usually cost between 6,000 and 10,000 yen (55 to 90 euro) per night. Please have a look at our accommodation pages for examples.

All metro signs in Tokyo are bilingual Japanese-English. It is better indicated than in most other metro in Western countries, so it's hard to get lost (for me at least). They even provide the carriage number that you should board to face the exit at the station where you are getting off, or to change line in a minimum of time. Metro exits have bilingual signs will all the attractions and businesses nearby. I wish most European metros would be half as well organised.

Hi Pedar,

In a large city you should be fine. Even in Tokyo when I looked lost people came to ask if they could help.

The subways are usually quite easy to use but the trains and buses can become more tricky once you are outside of the main city. Also even in main cities the subway/metro will stop before 1am.