Japanese woman travels solo around the world, 70 days across Vietnam on Vespa

In the southern Vietnamese metropolis, the 28-year-old from Nagasaki connected with the local Japanese community and was lent a Vespa, which she affectionately dubbed her 'boyfriend,' to ride solo from south to north.

Her route took her from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Mang Den, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, Phong Nha, Vinh, Hanoi, Mai Chau, Moc Chau, Ta Xua, Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai, and Ha Giang, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City to fly back to Japan.

Each destination left Nakatani with a distinct impression of Vietnam, a Southeast Asian country she was visiting for the first time.

The tranquil pace of life in Hue City made her hesitate to move on, while Moc Chau enchanted her with its waterfalls and Da Lat captivated her with fresh air.

But above all, what might have touched her most throughout the journey was the warmth and kindness of the Vietnamese people.

“I fell off my bike several times, and every time, Vietnamese people came to help,” Nakatani told Tuoi Tre News, recalling acts of kindness she encountered along the way.

“Even though I look Vietnamese, they still stopped to assist me — not because they saw a foreigner.”

Once, while passing through a fishing village, she had another accident.

Although the locals spoke a dialect she could not understand, even with Google Translate, they still found a way to help her fix her motorbike so she could continue her journey.

'What keeps this world moving is love'

Nakatani’s belief in love and human kindness is what keeps her going, even after her narrowly escaping a few kidnapping attempts while hitchhiking with strangers.

“The key to everything is love. The world is big, yet also small,” she said. 

"No matter our nationality, gender, or religion, we are all human.

“In the end, what keeps this world moving is love.

“So, I decided to share the beauty of this world and become a power spot of love.”

In March 2023, after graduating from university and working for two years, Nakatani quit her job and headed straight to Europe with a one-way ticket.

Arriving in Europe with just 35 euros left in the account, Nakatani used the only skill she had at the time: calligraphy which she started at age seven to sell art on the streets.

The money she earned was not much, but it was enough to cover her basic needs as she traveled through various countries for four months.

During this journey, the Japanese tourist deeply felt that ‘the world is full of love’ and wanted to share that message with everyone.

After returning to Japan in December 2023, she decided to self-publish her first essay book, LOVE.

In May 2024, with the motto of 'Spreading LOVE,' she continued her trip around the world.

With just a 28L backpack, Nakatani hitchhiked and traveled the world using money earned from exhibitions, workshops, calligraphy performances, book royalties, street art sales, and travel consulting.

After her journey across Vietnam, Yuki Nakatani plans to hold an exhibition to continue 'spreading love.'

She previously organized calligraphy and art exhibitions in Japan, Mongolia, China, and Thailand.

“I don’t see this as traveling but as living. What matters is knowing what you want and need in this life,” she said.

After a few close calls with potential kidnappings, Nakatani said she's been trying to read people's energy and trust her intuition more. 

Since her travels used to rely mostly on hitchhiking, she's now shifted to bikes and motorcycles to have more control over her journey. 

She added with a laugh that she'll keep working on reading energy to stay safe — and maybe even learn martial arts someday.

When asked whether the dangers she encountered on the road ever made her hesitant, Nakatani quoted a line from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: “Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out to be a threatening place.”

For herself, Nakatani reflected: “But what if, perhaps, more and more people started to see the world as a place ‘beautiful, filled with love’? Could this world become a more beautiful, love-filled place? I believe this.”