Japan is the safest country on this list and the quietest. Both come from the same place: people don't impose. Meeting them means going where imposing isn't needed.
City by city#
| City | Where travellers are | The easy way in |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya hostels | Language exchange night, a food tour, Golden Gai counter |
| Kyoto | Downtown and east-side hostels | A tea, cooking or calligraphy class; the Kamo river at dusk |
| Osaka | Namba and Shinsaibashi hostels | Dotonbori bar crawl, Shinsekai standing bars, a baseball game |
| Hiroshima / Fukuoka | Small social hostels | Peace Park walks, yatai food stalls in Fukuoka |
Things with a start time#
- Language exchange nights: the single best way to meet Japanese people and other travellers at once. Several a week in Tokyo and Osaka.
- A food tour, a sumo morning practice, a cooking class with a Japanese host.
- A counter seat at a six-seat izakaya: the counter is an invitation, a table is a wall.
- A baseball game: the crowd teaches you the chants.
Online, before you go#
Post your trip on Roavi Community: the city, your dates, what you're into. Travellers heading there in the next two weeks appear in the same place, and Local Friends can reply. How to meet other travellers in Tokyo has the capital in detail.
Japanese locals, properly#
Japan has had rental friends for years and it's ordinary: a local who spends a few hours with you at a rate they set. Japan's rental friend industry, rent a friend in Japan as a foreigner, how to meet locals in Tokyo.
The rules#
The Japan etiquette rules that actually matter, do you need Japanese in Tokyo?, is Japan safe? Costs and timing: how much a trip to Japan costs, best time to visit Japan.
Meet someone from Tokyo on your first day.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Is it hard to meet people in Japan as a solo traveller?
Harder than Thailand or Colombia, because people are reserved and won't approach you. It becomes easy the moment you join something organised: a hostel event, a food tour, a language exchange, a dive into a six-seat bar.Where do solo travellers meet in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?
Tokyo: Asakusa and Shinjuku hostels, Golden Gai, language exchanges in Shibuya. Kyoto: downtown and Gion-side hostels, a tea or cooking class. Osaka: Namba hostels, Dotonbori bar crawls, the Shinsekai standing bars. Osaka is the friendliest of the three.How do I meet Japanese people, not only tourists?
Language exchange nights (they come to practise English), counter seats at small izakaya, a cooking or calligraphy class with a Japanese host, baseball games, and a Local Friend who shows you their city. Japan's rental friend culture makes that last one normal.Is there a community for travellers going to Japan?
Roavi Community: post your trip with dates and see who else is heading to Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka in the next two weeks, ask a question that locals answer, and message Local Friends who live there.What etiquette matters when meeting people in Japan?
Quiet on trains, no phone calls in public, shoes off where asked, don't tip, take a business card with both hands, and don't push a conversation on someone who's working. Politeness is the currency; it buys more than Japanese does.
