Japanese people love traveling alone
2024-08-27
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Japanese female tourist traveling alone
Set Meal for One Person
Wang Tianqing, our special correspondent in JapanThe Japan Times recently reported that a new study found that Japanese people are increasingly fond of traveling alone. A market research company collected travel data from 39 countries around the world and found that Japan has the highest proportion of people traveling alone, and this proportion has grown rapidly in the past few years. From collectively enjoying cherry blossoms and drinking under the cherry trees to traveling around the world alone, how did the Japanese view of travel change?“Happiness alone is worse than happiness with others”Nagata, a Japanese friend of the Global Times special correspondent, recently returned from a solo trip to the Kumano Kodo. This was her second trip to Kumano. Many years ago, Nagata and her friends visited the Kodo, which had just been listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site and was very popular. Because her friend has certain religious beliefs, Nagata spent a day with her friend in the temple to copy scriptures in addition to hiking and visiting temples. Although she had a lot of fun, she always wanted to see more of the mountain scenery. After retiring at home, she had plenty of time as a single person, so she planned this 8-day personal tour to see all the nearby scenery.In fact, Nagata has often "acted alone" in recent years, sometimes to check in at popular restaurants or visit exhibitions, and sometimes to enjoy a two-day, one-night package at a hot spring hotel on weekdays when there are fewer people and the price is low. The trip to the Kumano Kodo is the farthest she has traveled so far.She told the reporter that the biggest advantage of traveling alone is that you can "go whenever you want" and "have the final say". You don't need to spend time with others or accommodate other people's consumption concepts. You can take a rest when you are tired and see more when you are happy. Traveling alone also provides her with the opportunity to meet new friends. After participating in some bird watching and gardening activities, Nagata met many people who like to travel alone. They communicated online and shared their experiences.Of course, Nagata also said that traveling alone can be "troublesome", such as not being able to share your feelings with close people immediately on the spot, and even though you have a tripod when taking selfies, you may need to run back and forth several times to take a satisfactory photo. Fortunately, social media is now well developed, so she can send beautiful pictures to friends online and interact with them.Have a deeper conversation with yourselfThere are more and more Japanese "solo travelers" like Nagata. According to a survey by a relevant market research company, when asked who they would travel with on vacation, more than 60% of people around the world answered "spouse or partner", and only 7.2% answered "traveling alone". However, in Japan, the proportion of people who choose to travel alone has reached 19.2%. This proportion was only 10.4% in 2019, and has increased rapidly in the past few years.In addition, among Japanese respondents, 13.5% of women said they often travel alone, while 24.2% of men said they often travel alone. If divided by age group, the highest proportion of Japanese people who travel alone are those aged 30 to 44.Regarding the increasing preference of Japanese people for traveling alone, relevant market research companies analyzed that in addition to the fact that more and more people are paying attention to self-care, there is another very important reason, that is, the proportion of single-person households in Japan is much higher than the global average.According to the Jalan Research Center, a local travel research organization in Japan, the size of group travel is shrinking, and individual travel is becoming the mainstream, and this trend exists among all age groups. Where to go? What to do? What to eat? Traveling with companions requires constant consensus between companions, so more and more people simply travel alone.Japan Transport Corporation Publishing House launched a magazine for readers over 50 years old and found that traveling alone is the most popular topic, and even published several picture books for this purpose. Food researcher Riko Yamaki published a travel essay "Happy Solo Travel after 50", which was a best-seller as soon as it was released. She said that traveling with her husband is also interesting, but traveling alone can allow her to have a deeper dialogue with herself and think about what is most important to her, which is impossible to do when traveling with a companion.There are a variety of "solo packages" to choose fromFor most single travelers, traveling alone is full of unlimited freedom, but at the same time, they have to take on more responsibilities - from planning an itinerary to asking for directions, and even unexpected minor injuries and illnesses, all have to be faced alone. Therefore, the choice of destination is particularly important. For Japanese people, they like to go to Hokkaido with its magnificent natural scenery, Fukuoka Prefecture with rich food, Oita Prefecture with hot springs, etc.Because of the emergence of "lone travelers", the facilities and supporting facilities of these tourist destinations have also changed. In the past, many Japanese hotels did not accept single occupancy, especially on weekends and during peak seasons. But now, hotels and travel agencies have seized the business opportunity and not only started to launch single travel packages, but also developed many customized products for singles.Regardless of the guest's gender, hot springs are one of the ideal experiences for a solo traveler, so hot spring hotels have long made changes and launched various single stay packages. Like other hot spring hotels, Jiashouen, located in the Hanamaki Onsen area of Iwate Prefecture, has high-quality hot springs and food made from local ingredients. What makes it slightly different from other stores is that Jiashouen has launched a semi-open-air bath room plus dining program for solo travelers. One person stays, one person bathes, and one person eats, creating a solitary experience to the greatest extent.Many single tourists are willing to travel far away to taste local food and wine, so some hotels have made efforts in this regard. The Josaikan Hotel in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, has launched a "Man's Pleasure Package" - guests can enjoy a 40-square-meter Japanese-style room alone, arrange a single room according to their needs when dining, and provide several local wines to go with the meal, making it comfortable for people to drink alone.Although the proportion of Japanese men who prefer to travel alone is higher than that of women, it seems that there are more products for women in the tourism market. Female guests now have a variety of "solo packages" to choose from, such as booking packages for taking photos of various yukatas, relaxation packages for yoga experiences, etc., all for the purpose of "pleasing oneself". In order to make single women feel safer when traveling, some hotels have even set up special floors for women.Club Tourism originally served the elderly, but as the solo travel market has continued to expand in the past two years, the company has begun to target female solo travelers aged 30-59. In travel products, groups are required to take a bus, and when dining, each person is guaranteed a table. This kind of travel product that allows people to "switch freely" between independent and group travel has been well received and is sold out quickly every time. ▲
