SOLO ACTIVITIES: ALONE BUT NOT LONELY

One thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront is the changes to group dynamics, especially when it comes to social activities. It was common to get together with friends and go out on a weekend night or travel together to a nearby sightseeing spot. Japan has not been the exception; however, one thing that was different and hasn’t been affected by the pandemic is the concept of “ohitorisama.”

OHITORISAMA

This term translates to “party of one,” which refers to people doing activities by themselves, even activities that would typically be done with another person or a group. In Japan is quite common to find people doing solo activities like going to the movies, eating dinner, karaoke, and even going to amusement parks.

To foreign people, this may seem strange, and many would wonder if these people are simply lonely or don’t have a big group of friends.

However, that is not the case. Many Japanese people enjoy having time for themselves and, in some cases, prefer doing activities like the ones mentioned above by themselves. Solitude isn’t a negative thing in Japanese culture.

YOU AND NATURE

A recent trend is to find people going hiking and camping by themselves. We asked several Japanese people to share their thoughts regarding solo hiking and camping. Is it something they partake in? Would they consider doing such activities by themselves?

As we can see, solo hiking and camping are something that interests most people for different reasons. It is important to note that most Japanese people are pretty mindful of being seen as causing trouble or inconvenience to someone else.

INFLUENCERS

Our interviewers mentioned the following YouTube channels that focused on solo hiking and camping. These channels share content regarding setting up a camping site, useful gear to have while solo hiking and camping, and offers a relaxing and inspiring experience for those who are solo hikers and campers and people interested in these types of activities.

• outdoo_life23 with 131K subscribers and its first video in August 2019.
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBk_efQJJVsSawIBN2S6YEQ
• Camp Rock with 150K subscribers and its first video in June 2020.
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCktmeADMzoU-b2krh-lLjBw
• YYYA’s CAMP with 22K subscribers and its first video in December 2020.
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTpIo7rmXntUYEHh0DU60Q

All three channels started just before or during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they all seemed to grow and rise in popularity when people were asked to keep their distance from others.

One critical insight that one of our interviewees shared with us was that it is a current trend to share your interests with others through YouTube, Instagram or Twitter.

OPPORTUNITY

The Japanese market trusts the legitimacy that quality brands offer through their products and services. They often want to find a product that will best enhance their interests or help them enjoy an activity to its fullest.

Hiking and camping are activities where the right equipment and gear can be the difference in allowing people to enjoy a safe and relaxing day among nature.

When asked to name a brand they felt offered the best hiking and camping equipment, and gear, Coleman, Patagonia, The North Face and Columbia were the four brands mentioned by our interviewers.

What could a brand like Coleman do to tap into the potential of the solo hiker and camper? Our interviewees mentioned that partnering with content creators and offering online seminars regarding safety for solo activities were two things that they felt could create a stronger rapport between a brand and its current and potential customers.