Home » Japan » The Destination is not Important. It’s the Journey that Counts

It all started as a telephone conversation on a cold and dreary Tuesday evening, when Lisa and I were realizing we didn’t want to stay in Hiroshima for the long winter weekend. Our disposable cash flow was running low, putting us in quite the predicament. Times like this we wished we didn’t live in one of the most expensive countries in the world. In addition while reviewing a map, our list of places to still-visit was short, and most locales were quite a distance away, involving lots of yen to get there. We made up our minds to go to Nagasaki, but how in the world would we get there without breaking the bank? Do as Jonathan would do- hitchhike! Indeed it was on my list of ‘Things to do Before Leaving Japan’ and would be a great adventure for the long weekend. By Friday I had lined up some contacts for accommodation and Lisa learned important hitchhiking kanji like ‘in the direction of ________.’ We packed some clothes, a pen, paper, and a guidebook with roadmaps. Apprehensively we set out on our journey. Read on and learn from our “Top Ten Tips to Hitchhiking in Japan.”

The Destination is not Important. It’s the Journey that Counts

Casey Lary
2007-04-27 21:35:25

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panic. Was our next stop going to be a free ride to jail? Things were not going that well and we had only been out there for 30 minutes! It turns out that the ramp leading up to the tollbooth is also considered the expressway. No pedestrians allowed there either. After writing down our names, they let us jump in the back this is the guy that drove us all the way to Nagasakiof the car and we were on our way to Fukuoka, not the nearest police station. Thank God! That would have been a short weekend.

3. Avoid Car accidents
The rest of the way to Fukuoka was easy-peasy. Our second car dropped us off at the Miyajima service area and within minutes we were picked up by a salaryman (equivalent to a businessman) traveling back to Shimonoseki. Then another man picked us up at the Shimonoseki service area, who said the best way to get into Fukuoka was by bus since the expressway is far from the city center. We hopped a bus from Kokura and by 8 were in Fukuoka! Destination 1 accomplished! We grabbed some famous Hakata Ramen at a food stall then headed to stay with our good friend Evania. The next morning we headed to the main train station, a recommendation by the guru as the best place to get picked up. There were no onramps in sight. We went to a hotel to get directions to the expressway. This was a smart move since they spoke English, knew the area, and had great maps. When asked how to get on the expressway, they asked Oura Catholic Church. Due to the heavy Dutch influence in Nagasaki, one sometimes doesn't feel like they are in Japan 'Where is your car?' We said 'We don't have one.' Then shock spread across their faces chiding us and saying that hitching in Japan was so dangerous. This was a common reaction by most Japanese, including our teachers, friends, and locals along the way. Our friend Yoko thought she would never see us again. On the contrary, hitching in Japan is much safer and easier than in any other country in the world! ...