I had a great first visit to Tokyo as a solo female traveler. I felt very safe and found the city’s systems very easy to navigate.
Here are some things I learned that helped during my trip:
Getting a Suica card at the airport was extremely useful for trains and even convenience stores.
Tokyo has luggage lockers in many subway stations, airports, and public areas. Since I stayed in a hostel, I also used the Bounce app to store my luggage.
I stayed at Imano Tokyo Hostel in Shinjuku, which had a great location close to the metro, was clean, and offered female-only dorms. The staff spoke English and were very helpful.
teamLab Planets Toyosu was a highlight and worth pre-booking in advance. Some areas involve walking through water, so appropriate clothing is needed.
For vegan food, T’s Tantan in Tokyo Station is fully vegan, and Ippudo has plant-based ramen options.
The subway system runs late, often until midnight, which made it easy to avoid taxis. However, taxis are also easy to find if needed.
Meiji Jingu was a calm and peaceful experience.
For airport transport, I used the Airport Limousine Bus both ways, which was very convenient.
Shopping at Loft was more affordable than Itoya, and Don Quijote was more expensive than expected.
Things I’m still unsure about include the lack of public trash bins and the city feeling quite overwhelming at times, though I expect I’ll adapt more on future visits.
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