The woes of a working mother: the struggle of balancing your workload and family is never an easy feat. In the aftermath of those demands, many mothers often forget their identities as they don’t allocate time for themselves as individuals. As a mother of two, my world mainly revolves around the cycle of work, kids, chores and sleep. Seeing how I desperately needed to recharge myself, the idea of a Tokyo solo trip struck my mind as I had never really been out on my own. I took the courage to click on that button to “request leave” and book an air ticket for myself, with no kids, no friends, and no husband. And I did it, just 2 weeks before flying!
Lacking time for planning, I was totally clueless about the places I should visit. The last thing I wanted was to feel stressed about planning my travel itinerary, so I practically didn’t! If you, too, like me, have no intentions or time to plan where to go, fret not and be spontaneous! There will be little pockets of time for you to do some research while you are on your way. However, there are ways to make your Tokyo solo trip stress-free and carefree. Hereafter, I have a list of tips simplified into this blog:
#1: Download a handy mobile app: NAVITIME
I happened to chance upon this free app whilst searching for train arrival timings from Narita Airport. NAVITIME is excellent as it gives you a gauge of the duration of your train journey from point A to B, and also tells you the exact timings of your train arrival. It also advises on the closest train arrival on a specific date and time that you choose, so that you can plan your journey ahead. How cool is that! Apart from the route search function, I found other tabs to be pretty interesting to browse while waiting for my train. This is definitely one app to download. There is also another similar app called Hyperdia for Android users.
#2: Purchase an overseas SIM card
When it comes to getting a GPS connection out of Singapore, the pocket wifi always comes to my mind. However, I was also contemplating whether I should get an overseas SIM instead, as my travel-savvy parents had advised me that it would definitely lift off that weight from my bag. Emily, a comrade of mine, was also planning a Taiwan trip on the exact travel dates as me and had done some research on SIM cards in Changi Recommends. Fair enough, it seems that it’s the best option as the 7-day Japan SIM card had unlimited data, and it was only $22! It helped me to decide quickly when I realised they had the option for us to pick up the SIM card at any point in time at their counters.
#3: Bring your best outfit forward!
Japan has always been famous for being a global trendsetter, and I couldn’t help but think about how to blend in well with these fashionistas. The key is to bring essential outfits that will keep you warm and versatile to transform your look from day to night. Here are some must-bring items to Japan:
- 1 classic black leather jacket
- 1 beautiful maxi dress
- 2 to 3 sets of accessories
- 1 pair of in-season trend flat pumps
- 1 pair of trustworthy sneakers
#4: Make a Japanese friend
If you don’t have any, it’s ok, widen your circle and make new friends! I met up with some Japanese friends who used to work in Singapore, and I was very blessed to have kept in touch with them all the while (thanks to Facebook). It’s definitely a plus as they know where to bring you to the places where the locals shop, and you can ask them to help you if you have trouble booking a day tour from a website that only transverses in Japanese.
#5: Bring a selfie stick
Tokyo’s solo trip definitely needs a selfie stick with all those picturesque sceneries. I hail it as one of the most valuable inventions ever! Being a last-minute packer, I completely forgot to pack this fantastic gadget. I ended up taking many close-up selfies and using lots of timer settings. A tripod stand is also essential if travelling on your own. I had to prop my camera on a book and set it to timer mode to get this beautiful shot above.
#6: Be spontaneous in the food sense!
There is definitely no shortage of mouth-watering food when in Japan. I was surprised to find that there were many more unexplored delicacies despite having a vast variety of Japanese food in my homeland, Singapore. I’m not so adventurous when it comes to exploring food, but I went out of my comfort zone and I didn’t regret it a bit! Seafood is exceptionally fresh in Japan, and I simply love how the beef slices merely melt in my mouth.
#7: Unwind your nights with cheap and excellent quality alcohol!
Alcohol is relatively cheap in Japan; a can of Suntory Hi-chu costs only 238 yen, which is only $3.20! Apart from scouting for trendy cafes to visit, I spent days seated on a side bench of the beautiful Yoyogi Park, reading a nice book and enjoying sips of Hi-chu. It was also my first time trying Japanese sake, which is mild and easy to drink. Also known as Nihonshu, this traditional sake definitely complements the Japanese delicacies and doesn’t burn a hole in my pocket.
#8: Check yourself into a traditional onsen!
Do not even attempt to skip this tip on a Tokyo solo trip! Visiting an onsen on a solo trip is perfect because you won’t feel embarrassed about being nude with no familiar faces around. After all, you don’t get to see them after you get back to Singapore, right? One of the more interesting onsens in Japan that I went to is Ooedo-Onsen Monogatari, located in Odaiba. Apart from having its traditional indoor and outdoor onsen, this huge onsen theme park also features an interesting main hall filled with food stalls, shops, arcade games, and an enormous tatami area for resting. With ample space for resting after my onsen soak, I even had the luxury to take a short nap in the quiet lounge area on the 2nd floor. One of my favourite spots is also the outdoor foot bath, which features a beautiful garden and a small winding water pathway for your feet to walk through. Ooedo Onsen is just less than 5 5-minute walk from Telecom Centre station along the Yurikamome line.
With these simple tips in mind, I found my solo trip to Japan to be fuss-free and stress-free. With no strict itinerary to follow, it’s incredible how one can enjoy oneself and be in the spur of the moment. The result? It was very restful and recharged me. Can a girl travel solo and be carefree? You definitely can =)
