Hitchhiking in Japan how to hitch · How to hitch in Hitchhiking in Japan
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
How to hitch in Hitchhiking in Japan
How to hitch in Hitchhiking in Japan
Except for the occasional impoverished student in the wide expanses of Hokkaido, there is very little tradition of hitchhiking in Japan, and you will more likely than not be the first hitchhiker that your driver has ever even seen, much less picked up. The key to hitchhiking is thus to assuage these fears and look as harmless and friendly as possible.
The top worries of a Japanese driver when they see a hitchhiking gaijin are: Can he communicate? Does he know how to behave? The quick way to answer those questions is with a sign: 日本語できる！ (Nihongo dekiru!), literally "Japanese can!", is just six characters and works like a charm. And you don't really need to know Japanese all that well to use such a sign, as long as you can communicate... somehow...
Please only write it down if you can speak a little, otherwise it will be an awkward ride for the both of you. Keep in mind that most Japanese understand basic English words when written down; it's the key once you get lost in translation.
Second on the agenda is appearance. This is not the place for a mop of unruly hair, ripped jeans and sunglasses ? foreigners are by default scary, and you need to do your best to look like you stepped out of an L.L. Bean catalog. Neat trousers, clean shirt, a hat to protect you from the sun instead of sunglasses. If you have a huge rucksack, put it off to the side and make sure it's clean and that there are no things sticking out. Cute emoji on your hitching sign, or smiles in the gaps in your kanji characters can be a surprisingly effective addition in Japan.
With these down pat, it's time to assume the pose and hitch. Hitchhiking being an unusual phenomenon, the best-recognized pose will be the classic Western style: left hand extended straight, thumb up, facing traffic and a winning smile on your face. Try to look drivers in the eye as they approach and perhaps even make a small bow of appreciation, especially if they slow down to take a better look at you or, better yet, loop back for a second look. And persevere: you may get picked up by the first car, or you may have to wait a while, but you will be picked up sooner or later.
Once the car does stop, a window will roll down and you will almost always be asked a simple question: Doko made? ("To where?") Do not make the mistake of giving your final destination, as the driver may assume that you will insist on going all the way. (This is also why it's usually not wise to use a destination sign.) Instead, pick the nearest major waypoint and state X no hō ("In the direction of X").
I personally ask in the service area if they can drop me off at the next major service area. Once in the car they will ask you where you are going and you will ask them and so you can ride along until you want to get out.
An alternative sign which can be quite handy is 次のＳＡ お願いいたします (tsugi no saabisu eria onegai itashimasuuu~); literally next service area, pretty please, with a cherry on top. This has a fair few advantages in that the duration of the ride is made very clear. Naturally, once you reach the final service area before your destination, flip the sign over and scrawl your actual destination on the back to get off the expressway itself. When undertaking this last step, being very slow and methodic using a rather thin pen can be quite advantageous because the very act of seeing a foreigner actually writing kanji on a sign themselves, from memory will attract more than a couple of viewers and potential rides.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Hitchhiking in Japan
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Hitchhiking in Japan - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Hitchhiking in Japan hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Hitchhiking in Japan Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.