I'm travelling solo for the first time next month to Japan. I'd like to meet people and make friends along the way, how do you guys do it?
>>2860354Stay at hostelsTalk to everyone Don't worry about being awkward because you'll be leaving anyway so nothing to lose If going out at night, drink If going on a guided tour, talk to people there too
>>2860354Stay only in hostels. Everyone is very friendly. Also go to a Burlesque show on the first day to let loose
>>2860354just get into a fight in bar, you get into a prison and find new authentic japanese friends
>>2860354>I'd like to meet people and make friendsIf you mean other Gaijin, its easy to make friends that away on your travels. I always meet them while nightclubbing or hitting the typical tourist areas. There are even apps now like Tablelog or NomadTable to connect with people and plann before doing stuff.>localsMight be difficult to some, easier for others. They are a very serious people. Right after college or their trade school, most people go straight to work. So you aren't going to meet 20-somethings with wanderlust like you. You might be able to meet some of the more outgoing ones in the city centers or ones specifically out there wanting to meet foreigners. They do exist. So unless you can read and speak their language fluently, you might have difficulty trying to connect with working-age adults. I met a really pretty girl in a club and was already alerted to how she was able to speak perfect English. There are Yakuza around too so be careful using Western dating apps by the way. I find this is a realistic video and shows street interaction well:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7efZG282TN8
You might not meet new friends that last more than one day or night out at a bar. Anons idea of going on tour groups is a good idea, try to find walking tours, although some of these will take you to tourist type shops along the way (do you want to buy a paper umbrella?). Rather than hit the usual nightclub strips i used to find student areas near universities and just check out bars in the vicinity. Hostels: check out Hotel Graphy Nezu near Ueno. You could also try a Buddhist Temple stay. Or if you have a particular interest (e.g model making) you could try and find some exhibits or fairs. Also look for markets / temple markets. These are a nice place just to chill out and eat drink. This all applies to whatever city / region you are visiting.
>>2860354Japanese don't want to be friends with you deluded weeb
>>2860354I'm there next month too. What are your interests?
If you want to meet normies, sign up for bar crawls.If you want to meet locals trying to learn english, expats and autismo types, sign up for one of those "meet new people" bar meetups.Both make it very easy to find some temporary travel friends. It doesn't matter how socially awkward you are, because you will find at least a couple of other people there who matches your vibe.
>>2860354I usually go out to bars at night and talk with locals. It helps a lot if you can speak a decent amount of Japanese. If we vibe we exchange our line/insta and maybe hang out again later. I have a few friends that I'll see every time I go back.
>>2863366>If you want to meet normies, sign up for bar crawls.I should add, bar crawls are for meeting young normies aged 18-30.If you want to meet old, more slow paced normies aged 30-50, sign up for food tours, walking tours and stuff like that.
>>2863393What if I'm a severely autistic NEET that doesn't drink
i hate sharing my space with people, i cant use hostels, i know im basically in my room to take a shower/poop/sleep but still just cant do ithow you guys do this
Hostels are pretty much the only way I met people, you meet people in the common room and go out for the night. I have made friends I still talk to years later
I had memorable conversations with locals in izakayas in Osaka. Obviously I don't try to talk their ears off if they don't initiate or keep talking, but I've had some great conversations with drunk older Japanese guys.
>>2860354drink
>>2863620Nobody who has their shit together stays in hostels though. I guess it’s fine if you’re in your early 20s but past that age hanging out with trainwrecks gets a bit tiresome
>>2863531As a fellow autist who doesn't really drink (I'm not opposed to it, I just don't like the taste), are you actually sure you want to meet friends?Sometimes it feels like it's the thing to do and I get that but are you really sure you'll enjoy the company of strangers? If you're just looking for a group I would suggest going to a bar or something with live music and just soak up the atmosphere or book a tour of somewhere. You still that get that friendly vibe without actually having to communicate. Admittedly it's hard for me to really comprehend since I do most of my traveling with my brother.
>>2863720Meeting people in hostels is fun. Just don't book the bottom of the barrel shit that has migrants workers, semi homeless and weirdos. High end hostels are still leagues cheaper than a decent hotel room. You'll meet other travellers and cute girls. It's probably a nightmare environment if you're severely autistic and weird.
>>2863531Sign up for bar crawls and order non-alcoholic beers. Alcohol is a social lubrication so the people around you who are tipsy will be much more forgiving of your social retardatian than they would have if they were sober. You dont have to be drunk just because everyone else is. CBD is also legal in Japan so you can buy that if you want to calm your nerves without getting intoxicated
>>2863777I probably don't want to do anything, I just browse this board to live vicariously through other peoples experiences while fantasizing about a life I'll never live.
>>2863777>I would suggest going to a bar or something with live musicThis is great advice. Removes the awkwardness of just standing around alone if nobody in your proximity speaks english
>>2863836CBD is a meme that does nothing. And if you get CBD, buy it in Japan. Bringing CBD from abroad will get you arrested because it's a byproduct of marijuana and there's always some tiny percent of THC left in it, no matter how pure. When bought from a Japanese company, it's assumed to be verified and fine. When brought from elsewhere, police will simply check for any THC at all and a single particle will have them charge it as pure drugs. And yes, people do get arrested for CBD even though it's technically legal.
>>2863777I've hanged out with people who didn't drink at all in hostels. Just don't be a downer and you'll be alright. Most people drinking don't actually get trashed so it isn't that hard to tolerate if you are sober. Basically stop being so high inhib and force yourself to undergo exposure therapy. You'll be awkward for awhile until you're not.
>>2864031It's such a placebo meme that a lot of countries prescribe it for pain relief to patients with serious conditions like MS and cancer. And I live in a country with even stricter rules regarding THC content than Japan, so I can safely bring it in (along with a lab report to get through customs smoothly)
>>2864040Bloodletting was also prescribed. Doctors prescribe a lot of shit. And yes, you can have a lab report proving XYZ and ABC and whatever the hell you want. No cop will give a shit. You're free to test them. They love getting easy arrests and doing foreigner perp walks on the news. Anything from outside Japan is weed. Plain and simple.
>>2864052The pain and anxiety reducing effects have been controlled in numerous studies. The effects aren't super noticable like those of opiates and benzos, but it's a non-addictive alternative for people suffering from chronic pain and who need to be medicated daily. If you don't have a lot of pain, you don't get a noticable pain relief from ibuprofen either, but it's there. CBD is slightly stronger than that but it has the added benefit of not nuking the patients kidneys after years of use. So it works, as long as you actually have severe pain or anxiety that needs to be numbed. Otherwise it does nothing, just like ibuprofen. When I bring it in I register it with the MHLW and apply for an import certificate, like you do with most medication. Then I print out the Yunyu Kakunin-sho/Import Certificate. And when I walk through customs, I show them the import certificate and the lab report. They nod and wave me through. I don't know who scared you but as long as you got your documents in order they don't sperg out on you for no reason
>>2864052>Bloodletting was also prescribedFunny enough, theres a few modern stuides that probved that bloodletting does have positive effects, though no one has any clue why. Same as it turns out that leech saliva has strong antibiotic properties, and that leeches can indeed be used as effective medication.>>2864060Or I'd just not be depenedent on any drug, medical or not. CBD is fine, but if you're actually so addicted you can't last a trip without it , you should quit.Contrary to what americans believe, being on drugs every day all day is not normal nor healthy and not necessary unless you#re schizophrenic or similarly ill. Maybe try to tackle reality as it is for once.
>all these posts telling OP to drink just to be able to make friends or socializeholy shit you guys are alcoholics if you can't make friends without being booze.
>>2865472>without being boozeHow do we ban Indians(Canada) from the internet?
>>2860354>>2863366>sign up for one of those "meet new people" bar meetups.Don't do this - disorganised shitfests that are just promotions by the bars and have entry fees when you could just go to a bar for free. There are better events on Meetup. Or you could just go to British and Irish pubs in Roppongi if you're looking for expat regulars.But if you're in Tokyo and looking for other gaijin then just lock in on Golden Gai - stay in a hostel in or near to Shinjuku. You can take a bar tour around there if you really want to though there's not much to gain from it other than not being alone I suppose. Go between 9 to 11 pm. Just walk into any of the bars that aren't "members only" or have cover charges greater than 1000 yen, take a seat and conversations will happen. My favourites are Deathmatch in Hell and Albatross since they tend to be the most popular with gaijin. You can also just hang in front of the Family Mart konbini since that's a known spot for meeting people.
>>2865497>resorts to insults over a typokek go to AA. Get help
>>2863335This. I went last year and nobody made eye contact but other westerners. I'm just too hairy. 14 yo Harry Potter is the gold standard of white attractiveness in Asia.Made sweet love to a super hot german girl half my age though. And got chlamydia. Whatcha gonna do.
