SOLO TRAVEL IN JAPAN 🇯🇵 kyoto hostel, solo side quests & being single abroad

@Ciara Gan

Ciara Ganyoutubethe post

A solo traveler's guide to Kyoto, featuring a unique pod hotel, hands-on cooking and craft classes, and a visit to a shrine for breakups, all while embracing the joys of traveling alone.

1 plan · 5 places · 4 experiences

Plan · 2 places · Kyoto, Japan

A Day of Kyoto Crafts and Reflection

“After my chopstick making class, I headed to a temple and then explored Gion. It was a day of crafts and reflection.”

Experience · 1 place
Make your own chopsticks in Gion
I headed to a chopstick making class in Gion, where I made my own chopsticks and even got my name engraved in Japanese, along with the date. It was a really fun experience that took my mind off things for a few hours, and the instructor was super nice. I'm so happy I do these things for myself, even if I go alone, because it makes me feel so cool! You can also do kintsugi here. You can book this class via GetYourGuide.
1
Gion Chopsticks Making Class
Kyoto
Creator's voice
A chopstick making class located in Gion where you can craft your own chopsticks and have your name and the date engraved in Japanese. The class offers a fun and engaging activity, and kintsugi is also available. Bookable via GetYourGuide.
Gion, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, Japan
Custom engraved chopsticks — I made these chopsticks myself and got my name engraved in Japanese, along with the date. It's a unique souvenir from Japan.
Experience · 1 place
Crawl through the 'breakup hole' at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine
I found this shrine online that's known for breakups, and as someone who's always been ritualistic, things like this mean a lot to me. I crawled through the hole and crawled back, which is part of the ritual if you're going through a bad breakup. It was a way for me to pay respects to myself and the person I was in my past relationship, especially on my first solo trip without a partner. It's a powerful experience for processing emotions.
2
Yasui Konpiragu Shrine
神社 · Kyoto
4.4 (7,926)Closed
Creator's voice
A unique shrine in Kyoto known for its 'breakup hole' ritual, where visitors crawl through a stone monument to sever bad ties or strengthen good ones. It's a significant spiritual site for those seeking to process relationships and personal growth. Free to enter.
Yasui Kompiragū Shrine, 70 Shimobentencho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0823, Japan
Crawl through the 'breakup hole' — The ritual involves crawling through a small hole in a stone monument, then crawling back, to symbolize cutting off bad relationships or strengthening good ones. It's a deeply personal and ritualistic experience.

Also in this video

Experience · 1 place
Stay at a pod hotel with a transforming bed
I stayed at The Millennials, which is a pod hotel but with a twin-size bed that transforms from a sofa to a bed using an iPod provided in your pod. It's the best hostel I've ever stayed in, offering a perfect mix of privacy and social life with a daily happy hour at 5:00 p.m. where you can meet lots of people. It's also super convenient, near convenience stores, bus stations, and even a Don Quijote. I 10/10 recommend it if you're in Kyoto!
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The Millennials Kyoto
Hotel · Kyoto
4.6
Creator's voice
A pod hotel in Kyoto that offers twin-size beds instead of bunk beds or traditional capsules, providing a great balance of privacy and social interaction. It features a daily happy hour at 5:00 p.m. and is conveniently located near convenience stores, bus stations, and a Don Quijote. It costs around 3,000 pesos a night.
The Millennials Kyoto, 235 Yamazakicho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8032, Japan
Transforming twin-size bed — The bed transforms from a sofa to a bed using an iPod provided in your pod. You can even set your alarm to wake you up by raising the bed into a sofa, which is crazy!
Happy hour — Every day there's a happy hour at 5:00 p.m. where you can meet so many people, perfect for solo travelers looking to socialize.
Experience · 1 place
Take a Japanese Izakaya Cooking Class
I booked a 3-hour Japanese izakaya cooking class, which was a great way to fill my time as a solo traveler and learn something new. I got to make karaage, one of my favorite foods, and okonomiyakis, which I've made twice back home. The class was super cultural and unique, and I even had some sake, which got me pretty tipsy! Everyone was so nice and sweet, and it was a really fun way to meet people. You can book this class via GetYourGuide.
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Afternoon Japanese Izakaya Cooking Class
Cooking class · Kyoto
4.9 (38)
Creator's voice
A 3-hour Japanese izakaya cooking class where you can learn to make dishes like karaage and okonomiyaki. It's a cultural and unique experience, perfect for solo travelers looking to learn a new skill and meet people. Sake is also served during the class. Bookable via GetYourGuide.
Japan, 〒604-8017 Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, Zaimokucho, 183 B1F Izakaya Factory Kyoto
Karaage — I got to make karaage, which is one of my favorite Japanese foods, during the izakaya cooking class.
Okonomiyaki — I also made okonomiyakis in the class, a dish I've even recreated back home.
5
Goka
Cafe · Kyoto
4.5 (941)Closed · opens tomorrow 10:30 AM
GOKAGO, 2 Chome-258 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0862, Japan
- Matcha latte · ¥700 — My matcha latte was almost gone, but it was actually really good. I even bought the powder to take home. It cost 700 yen.
- Hojicha latte · ¥700 — I also got a hojicha latte, which was good, but I preferred the matcha latte. It cost 700 yen.

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