Solo karaoke
Many karaoke chains have single rooms, and some places are just for solo singers. An hour of belting out songs with nobody listening is strangely good for you.
Chance of meeting someone
Few cities are this good at doing things on your own. Counter seats, single booths, quiet baths. Nobody looks twice. Here's where to start, and when it's worth bringing someone.
The bar under each one is our rough take on how easy it is to end up chatting to someone there.
Many karaoke chains have single rooms, and some places are just for solo singers. An hour of belting out songs with nobody listening is strangely good for you.
Ticket machine, counter, ten minutes, done. Solo diners are the norm. Some ramen shops even have booths with dividers so you can just focus on the bowl.
Neighbourhood public baths (銭湯, sentō) are cheap, calm and everywhere. Wash first, then soak. Some places don't allow tattoos, so check before you go.
Tachinomi (立ち飲み) bars are small, cheap and chatty. Everyone stands shoulder to shoulder, so talking to the person next to you is part of it. Good for practising your Japanese.
From the big Ueno Park museums to small galleries in Roppongi and Ginza, going alone means going at your own pace. Weekday mornings are quietest.
Pick a neighbourhood and wander: Yanaka's old streets, Shimokitazawa's thrift shops, the canal paths of Nakameguro. Tokyo rewards getting a little lost.
Find one you like and become a regular. The staff start recognising you, and so do the other regulars. Our matcha favourites.
Go alone, leave with people. Run clubs, bouldering, cooking, language exchange. Same faces every week is how it happens. Where to find them.
Doing things alone is one of the best parts of living here. But if solo has quietly become every weekend, that's the moment to bring someone along next time. Not a big group, just one person. The same ramen tastes better with someone to say "okay, that was really good" to.
Buy Me a Matcha shows you people in Tokyo who speak English and also want new friends. You match, you pick a café, you go. Just the two of you.
Get it on the App Store