Tokyo

Yes. No city makes eating alone feel more ordinary: counter seats everywhere, ramen in single booths served through the night, Golden Gai bars with six stools. Japan ranks 10th in the 2026 Global Peace Index. The trade-off is that trains stop around midnight, and meeting people takes more effort than in Lisbon or Bangkok.

Taipei

Yes, and it's one of the easiest Asian capitals to handle alone. The UK Foreign Office calls crime in Taiwan extremely low, night markets are built for grazing stall to stall, and hostel beds start at NT$580 (about £13). It works especially well for LGBTQ+ travellers. The catch is the weather: humid heat, and typhoons from May to November.