I hitchhiked some 300 kilometers in 3 cars to the Shangri-La mountainous wonderland if Japan, Nagano Prefecture, the source of the longest river in Japan, Shinano. Some of the beautiful people who picked me up:
Continue reading →Trip Highlights: I hitchhiked 1077 kilometers from Niigata to Osaka and back and though I was out for 4 days, I spent less than $15 US. for food and a short train and bus help me on my way Got rides to areas only walking distance to the places I need to go. Met a man who picked me up some 15 years before! He asked a driver for me … Continue reading →
Carrying an umbrella in one hand while riding my bicycle through heavy rain, I road 15 minutes to the local train station to catch a train just after 6 a.m. It was imperative for me to travel to the city of Aomori, 470 kilometers to the north, and I intended to take trains all the way. But upon arrival at the train station, I learned the trains were not running … Continue reading →
Highlights of this trip: Had to wait 2 hours and 40 minutes for the first ride! But the next 2 cars picked me up relatively quick and I arrived at my destination in Tokyo (300 kilometers from Niigata) on time. The third and final car to Tokyo took me exactly where I wanted to go. He was headed to Yokohama which meant my destination of Yoga in Tokyo was exactly … Continue reading →
Highlights of this trip Mrs. Fujiwara, the fish market lady, picked me up for the 4th time to date. It’s likely I’ll see her again unless I change my route. A helicopter pilot, Lt. Abe who serves in the Self Defense Force took me to Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture. He says he can also fly light aircraft. Approached at a highway rest stop between Akita City and Noshiro by two … Continue reading →
June 21st is my birthday but I had to celebrate it on the road traveling. The Sea of Japan was a bit choppier than last week with an overcast sky. The first car was a mother and her son on the way to Yunohama in Tsuruoka city. Because Yunohama is on the coast and away from the main National Route 7, I debated going with them all the way. However … Continue reading →
This trip I broke the 150,000 kilometer mark of distance traveled by hitchhiking since keeping statistics from August of 2005. After only a few minutes wait at my usual spot near Majima Station at Murakami City, a man driving a large van stopped for me. He lives in Osaka but is originally from Okinawa. Some of my readers may not know that Okinawa used to be part of what is … Continue reading →
This trip I hitchhiked 951 kilometers from Niigata Prefecture to Aomori Prefecture and back in 16 cars. Again the first person to pick me up in Murakami city near Majima station was Mrs. Fujiwara, a lady who buys and sells fish. It was the third time to meet her! It’s highly likely we will meet again. The return trip from Hiroshima to Niigata was via the Tohoku Expressway though Fukushima … Continue reading →
From May 10 to 12 I traveled 870 kilometers from Niigata Murakami City to Aomori City and back in 22 vehicles. The first driver, a lady, took me from Majima station to Nezegaseki near the Yamagata border line. She was on her way to help oversee a group of elementary children (which including her son) climb Mt. Nihonkoku, a small mountain of 300 meters high. From there a van took … Continue reading →
Toward the end of Golden Week, I again went to Aomori Prefecture and back. Six vehicles took me 431 kilometers to Aomori City, and 5 cars took me 632 kilometers back to Niigata via the Tohoku and Banetsu Expressways. Though I expected sunny weather, there again was slight precipitation from time to time. Three of the drivers offered to treat me to coffee but I politely declined. I’ve been reading … Continue reading →
From April 27th to April 29th I hitchhiked 986 kilometers in 12 vehicles From Niigata to Aomori Prefecture and back. (See map) This time is the beginning of what is called “Golden Week” in Japan, a string of holidays which includes Emperor Showa’s birthday. It rained hard the night before I left but by morning, the rain had stopped in Niigata. I caught an immediate ride at my starting point … Continue reading →
From March 16th to the 19th I traveled to and around the Kanto area of central Honshu in 15 vehicles, a distance of 698 kilometers. “Kanto” literally means “Eastern Barrier” of which Tokyo is the center. Osaka is the center of “Kansai” which means “Western Barrier.” There are historical reasons for these names. You historians can correct me if I’m wrong, but if I remember correctly, only those with permission … Continue reading →
On February 22nd, I hitchhiked from Niigata to Osaka, the first all day hitchhiking trip this year. My destination of Osaka is 600 kilometers from home. I wanted to get a good start and arrive early, so I took a train and a highway bus to take me as far as Ozumi Parking area on the Hokuriku Expressway. It was snowing and just above freezing. I wished I could have … Continue reading →
The chart shows the distance travelled by hitch hiking in Japan from 2005 to 2012. The final trip of the year was to Tokyo on December 26, an unusually cold day with icy streets. It took twice as long as normal to get to the Sakae Parking area on the Hokuriku Expressway, and 3 hours to catch the next ride! I was about to quit when an elementary school teacher … Continue reading →
Today was cloudy when I started out on my journey to Aomori city, 470 kilometers from home. I wore for the first time this season a warm overcoat. I heard it had been snowing in Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu. At 8:05 a.m. after walking 25 minutes on Route 345 from Majime station, the first car of the day stopped for me. It was again Mr. Toki, a cook … Continue reading →
It was fine weather when I started out from Niigata City at 10 a.m. My destination was Sayama City in Saitama Prefecture which is just to the north of Tokyo. The distance from home is about 280 kilometers, only half of the 560 kilometers to Osaka which I hitchhiked the previous week. I thought it would be piece of cake not only because the distance to travel was much less, … Continue reading →
It’s been about half a year since visiting the Kansai area of Japan. “Kansai” literally means, “Western Barrier” and consists of three main cities, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. You might ask, “Is there an Eastern Barrier? Yes, there is. It’s called the Kanto plain with Tokyo being the main city. “Kanto” literally means “Eastern Barrier.” This all has to do with Japanese history from the Samurai times of 500 years … Continue reading →
Having fun hitchhiking in northern Japan, making new friends, and saving a bucket of cash.
Continue reading →Getting treated to an oyster snack on my 400-mile hitchhike adventure in Northern Japan.
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3July 16, 2012: The previous day I sprained my back while on the road in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. This morning when rising at 5:20 a.m. from the bed in the capsule hotel where I spent the night, an excruciating lower back pain greeted me. It was difficult to stand up and walk. To make matters worse, though I expected the weather to be fair and sunny, a low pressure … Continue reading →
