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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them over they had just rolled out of bed and hadn't even brushed their teeth yet! Little did they know what they were getting themselves into when they picked us up! We treated the guys to the Shimabara castle which included dressing up in Samurai armor and a late lunch at Joyfull. What more fun to spend an afternoon than with two random white girls?

Since it would be literally impossible to hitch a ride with a freighter or speedboat across to Kumamoto, we bought tickets. We asked a Japanese lady which platform to go to in order to get to Kumomato and it turned out she was going to there as well. Before we knew it she was offering us a free ride to the center of the city. This was a big turn around in comparison to the first part of our trip! You never know where you are gonna get lucky or not. Your next ride could be anywhere.

7. Never be afraid to ask a stranger for a place to stay if is keitai email is 'white day forever.'
Recently my new facebook has been couchsurfing (see my Saigon blog for more information). It is a great way to meet new people, have a guide for the city, and a free place to stay. I had never used the JET version called Tatami Timeshare. To save money on accommodation, I tried to contact people in Nagasaki/Kumamoto on both sites. Through Tatami Timeshare this guy in Nagasaki and I started 'flirting' online. He lived on an island so was no use for accommodation and would be traveling around Kyushu the whole weekend. We ended up exchanging itineraries, missing each other in Kumamoto City by a night. He was telling me that he had a good friend in Kumamoto that he was staying with. As sketchy as I am, I thought, 'well, maybe Pat's friend will let us stay with him?' I thought it didn't hurt to ask. Pat said Isaac would be down. When writing Isaac I said 'Hi Isaac, I'm Pat's frien....' nope, couldn't say Pat was my friend and deleted that. Second try 'Hi Isaac, I know Pat....' slightly more accurate! Isaac, ...