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Hisarya

Hisarya (Хисаря, pronounced hi-SAH-ryah) is a health resort in Central Bulgaria, famous for its hot mineral springs and the Roman ruins in its heart. It's one of the oldest and largest balneotherapy resorts in Bulgaria, and probably the most famous one; it produces one of the most well-known brands of bottled mineral water in the country, dating back to the Communist era (1958). It's a small town (population of 6.5 thousand) nested in a mountain valley in the Sredna Gora range, east of the capital Sofia,  north of Plovdiv and  south-west of Karlovo.

Understand
There are 22 mineral water springs in Hisarya - 16 natural and 6 artificial (boreholes), with temperatures ranging. Their waters are alkaline, with low mineralisation (170-275 mg/l). The water of the Momina Banya spring contains low amounts of the radioactive gas radon (Rn, element 86) - 165 Eman/l, or 16,500 picocuries/l.

Name
The name of the town originates from the Roman ruins: "hisar" is the Turkish word for "fortress" (a borrowing from Arabic), but with a Bulgarian definitive suffix (-ya) - "the Hisar". Confusingly, the use of the suffix is inconsistent - it's sometimes dropped even on road signs and in official documents (Хисар). The name is sometimes also spelled with a double S to make the correct pronunciation more clear - Hissarya, Hissar.

History
The hot springs have attracted people there since prehistoric ages. Archaeologists have found remnants from a settlement dating back to the Late Neolithic Age (5th millennium BCE). In later times, the Thracians settled the area, which was conquered by the Roman Empire in the first century CE. The settlement grew into a city, which was destroyed by the Goths in the 3rd century, then rebuilt and fortified with thick walls in the 4th century. The exact name of the town hasn't been positively identified (e.g. by finding an inscription), but possible names mentioned in ancient sources include Augustae, Sevastopolis, and Diocletianopolis ("City of Diocletian", afer the Roman emperor of that name), with indirect evidence suggesting the last option as the most probable. After the Empire split, the town remained a part of the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by the First Bulgarian Empire in the 8th century. The fortress was likely destroyed during the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans in the 14th century.

Settlements in the area start appearing again in historical record in the 17th century. While in Hissarya the population was mainly Turkish, in the nearby villages Verigovo and Momina Banya (now quarters of the town) there lived enthusiastic Bulgarians who took an active part in the fight against the Ottoman rule. In 1868 Vassil Levski founded a revolutionary committee in Verigovo, 15 members of who took part in The Grand People’s Gathering at Oborishte. The village rose in rebellion against the Turkish rule in April 1876 together with other villages in the area, but it was devastated when the April Uprising was suppressed - the village was burnt down, many people were slaughtered, others sent on exile to Cyprus Island, some were driven away.

After the Liberation War, the place remained within Eastern Rumelia, but its potential as a health resort was recognized by the government even before the Unification. In 1942, the villages of Hisar and Momina Banya were merged, and the settlement received town status in 1964 under its modern name. Later, the nearby villages of Verigovo and Miromir were added to the town as outlying neighbourhoods in 1971.

By train
Hisarya is the end point of a short branch line that splits off the Karlovo-Plovdiv line, which in turn is a secondary line that connects the Sub-Balkan Railway in the north and the main lines passing through Plovdiv in the south. This means that reaching Hisarya requires changing trains at the split-off station (Dolna Mahala), but the schedules are synchronized to reduce waiting to a minimum. From either Karlovo or Plovdiv, the trip lasts 70-75 min. Both the station's sign and BDZ's website call the station just Hisar (Хисар).

As of the summer of 2024, you can disregard the above: the shuttle train to Hisarya is suspended due to the ongoing renovations at Sofia Central Station. The train normally serving the line was transferred to Sofia to ferry passengers between Sofia Central and Sofia North. Renovations are expected to last at least a year.

By car
Road 642 splits off from and then merges back into Road 64, which runs north-south and connects Karlovo and Plovdiv. In both cases, the exit is to the west side of Road 64. Hisarya is from Karlovo/Sopot and  from Plovdiv.

Get around
Hisarya is a small, mostly flat town, and most of the points of interest are concentrated in a relatively small area. Public transport does exit - three bus lines connect the outlaying neighborhoods to the central part of the town.

The ruins
The walls of the Roman city encompass a roughly rectangular area, 630 by, approx. ; in places, they have been preserved up to a height of. The fortifications included 44 towers and four main gates, one for each cardinal direction, but only the southern and western gates are relatively well-preserved. In addition to the various ruins, the area within the walls contains a park with mineral water drinking fountains and a sizable modern residential area.

Do

 * Fishing Pond - common carp, caracian carp, silver carp, catfish
 * Motocross track

Bathing
In addition to the hotels' spa and pool facilities (see below), there's also a number of standalone pools and baths.

Hiking
Hisarya lies at the base of the south-eastern slopes/foothills of the Proper (Central) Sredna Gora range (Sashtinska Sredna Gora), on the west side of the gap separating the central range from Sarnena Gora (Eastern Sredna Gora). There are a couple of spots suitable for short hikes or picnics outside of Hisarya - the crosses mentioned in - but as they are used primarily by the locals, the footpaths leading to them are not particularly well marked and may not show up even in OpenStreetMap.

More serious hikes involve venturing deeper west into the woods of Sredna Gora, multi-hour stages and altitudes of more than above sea level, so prepare accordingly. The Communist-era hiking infrastructure in Sredna Gora has been in decline for decades, and few of the mountain huts remain in operation; the 2008 economic crisis and COVID-19 haven't been kind to modern enterprises either. Due to the inconsistent (or non-existent in the first place) trail markings, using a map and a GPS-enabled device is a must. Online map sources: OpenStreetMap and BGMountains.org (online map zoomed in on Fenera Peak; downloadable maps for Garmin with Latin place names). There's also a paper hiking map of Sredna Gora in 1:50,000 scale published by Domino in 2016 (red cover, title on yellow rectangles; allegedly in Bulgarian and English, but mostly in Bulgarian; information about any businesses is probably obsolete).

Drink

 * The water from local mineral springs is bottled under the brand name ХИСАР (HISSAR).

Sleep
Being a resort town, Hisarya has a disproportionate number of hotels and other lodgings.

Camping and mountain huts

 * Fenera Hut (peak, Thracian ruins)

Cope
The former village of Miromir, now an outlaying neighborhood, is one of the few Roman Catholic enclaves in Bulgaria, and has a functioning church.

Starosel
Starosel is a large village (pop. 900) west of Hisarya (along Road 6061, which splits off Road 642 south of Hisarya). It's notable for several Thracian ruins nearby, as well as for being the starting point of a marked hiking trail that reached Fenera Peak (see ). Starosel can be reached by buses starting at Hisarya's bus station.

Go next

 * Karlovo and Sopot to the north
 * Plovdiv to the south

title: Hisarya


text:
Historic High Country

North Georgia is a mountainous region in the state of Georgia.

Cities

 * - historic gold rush town, including the Dahlonega Gold Museum
 * - A recreation of an alpine village
 * - A recreation of an alpine village
 * - A recreation of an alpine village
 * - A recreation of an alpine village
 * - A recreation of an alpine village

Other destinations

 * Amicalola Falls
 * Black Rock Mountain State Park
 * Fort Mountain State Park
 * Tallulah Gorge State Park
 * Unicoi State Park
 * Vogel State Park

Climate
Although the climate and weather is usually mild with warm to hot summers and tolerably winters there is the possibility of severe weather. Although the chances of such weather are rare it is important for travelers to understand what to do in severe weather especially in cases where events are unfamiliar.

 * Flooding- This area suffers from severe drought and heavy rainfall that can cause flooding. In the case of flooding, find high ground and do not try to cross water flowing over a roadway.
 * Thunderstorms- Are large rain storms that contain high winds, rain, lighting, thunder, and sometimes hail. Thunderstorms can quickly develop into tornadoes. During a thunderstorm stay inside also be prepared for power outages caused by falling trees. More people are killed or injured in the United States by thunderstorms than by hurricanes and tornadoes combined.
 * Tornadoes- A tornado is a spinning column of very low-pressure air, which sucks the surrounding air inward and upward. See Tornado safety for more information.
 * Winter Weather- In this area of Georgia winter weather can cause lots of problems. There is a variance as to how much and what type of winter weather a specific area in this region will receive because of the differences in elevation caused by mountainous areas. Winter weather can be expected 2-3 times a year. Northerners often scoff at the locals fear of winter weather but caution should be observed. During such occasions the temperature usually hovers near freezing causing a wild mix of weather and conditions. A mix of snow, freezing rain, and sleet is usually expected. Local drivers are not accustomed to driving in this type of weather. Black ice can occur on roadways especially bridges. Ice storms are more common than blizzards.

By plane
The closest major airports are Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Many of the counties in this region also have their own airports, though no major commercial airlines fly to these airports.

By car
The Historic High Country is linked to the rest of the country by the Interstate Highway System. The principal interstates in the region are I-75, I-85, I-575, I-985, I-24 and I-59. If coming from Atlanta, another popular highway to use is Georgia 400, which starts at I-285 in Atlanta, travels through Forsyth and Dawson countries and ends just south of Dahlonega.

Get around
The main way to get around this region is by car.

See
In Cartersville, one can visit the Booth Western Art Museum. The museum features contemporary Western art, Western illustration, Western movie posters, Civil War art, Presidential portraits and letters, authentic stagecoaches, and an interactive hands-on gallery for children based on a working ranch. Near Cartersville is the Etowah Indian Mounds, the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the American Southeast. The Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site is home to six Native American earthen mounds, a plaza, village site, borrow pits and defensive ditch.

Moving to the eastern part of High Country, one can visit the Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site in Dahlonega. This museum commemorates the Dahlonega Gold Rush, the first gold rush in the United States. The Ty Cobb Museum in Royston contains art and memorabilia, film, video, books and historical archives of baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, as well as several other notable people from Franklin County.

Do

 * Hiking: There are numerous hiking opportunities in the north Georgia mountains. The Appalachian Trail begins in Georgia and runs 75.2 miles from Springer Mountain to the North Carolina Border. Other long trails in the High Country include the Benton MacKaye Trail and the Silver Comet Trail. Several mountains in the region are popular with hikers, such as Blood Mountain, Sawnee Mountain, Yonah Mountain and Brasstown Bald. There are also numerous hiking opportunities in the region's state parks such as Fort Mountain State Park, Vogel State Park and Tallulah Gorge State Park.
 * Caving: There are over 400 known caves in northern Georgia. The most notable caves are Ellison's Cave and Petty John's Cave, both located on Pigeon Mountain in Walker County.
 * Hunting and fishing: There are several wildlife management areas (WMA) in northern Georgia where hunting is allowed. Some WMAs include the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA in Walker County, Rich Mountain WMA near Ellijay, Pine Log WMA north of Cartersville, the Dawson Forest WMA near Dawsonville and the Blue Ridge WMA in Fannin County. A Georgia Outdoor Recreational Pass may be required to visit these WMAs. Fishing is allowed on Georgia's rivers, as well as in designated Public Fishing Areas. Be sure to read about regulations on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' website.
 * Lakes and rivers: Popular lakes in this region include Lake Lanier near Cumming, Lake Allatoona near Cartersville, Carters Lake in Murray County and Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County. Rivers such as the Etowah, Cartecay and Chattahoochee rivers are opened to kayaking, canoeing, and inner tubing. If you are planning a tube trip in the Helen area, call ahead to check the water level as this area has been in "severe" drought for most of 2016.
 * Sports: Rome is home to the Rome Braves, a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In college sports, Berry College and Shorter University (both in Rome) both sponsor NCAA Division II varsity sports. Shorter's athletic teams are known as the Hawks, while Berry College's teams are known as the Vikings.

Drink
Historic High Country is home to the Upper Hiwassee Highlands American Viticultural Area, a maritime wine region. Vineyards in the High Country includes Sharp Mountain Vineyards near Jasper and Three Sisters Vineyards near Dahlonega.

Near Cartersville is the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Blue Ridge is also home to a few small breweries.

Go next

 * Metro Atlanta: Georgia's capital region. Border the High Country to the south
 * Classic Heartland: Georgia's central region. Also borders the High Country to the south
 * North Carolina: Borders the High Country to the north
 * Tennessee: Borders the High Country to the north
 * South Carolina: Borders the High Country to the east
 * Alabama: Borders the High Country to the west

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Historic High Country


text:
Hita

Hita (日田市 Hita-shi) is a small city in the west of Oita prefecture, Japan. It's closer to Fukuoka than Oita, the prefectural capital.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

By bus
Highway buses to Fukuoka (Tenjin and Hakata) leave approximately every 20 minutes from Hita Bus Centre (1½ hours, ¥1750) Some buses stop at the airport which adds on about 15 minutes to the journey. You can buy a book of 4 tickets (a Super Joshaken) for ¥5600. Buses to Oita City leave from the highway stop every 1-2 hours.

By train
Although Hita does have a station, the train is not as convenient as the bus, being more expensive, irregular and less frequent. Services run east to Yufuin (74 min, ¥1080) and Oita (130 min, ¥2070), and west to Kurume (75 min, ¥1080).

By car
The Oita Expressway has an exit here. Driving northwest it takes about 1 hour to drive to Fukuoka (¥1650). Going east it takes about 1 hour to get to Beppu (¥2000) and about 1 hour 20 minutes to get all the way to Oita (¥2350).

Get around
Hita is small enough to get around on by bike alone and you should never really need to use the local buses. A car is useful to get out of town on the weekends but not essential.

See

 * Gion Festival Centre, Kuma-2-chome (隈2-丁目) 7-10, +81 973-24-6453. 9AM-5PM, closed Wednesday. This small museum details the history and activities surrounding Hita's annual summer Gion festival, exhibiting six full sized floats. ¥310 entry.
 * Bamboo Fish Traps, Takedashin-machi (竹田新町) (next to the Mikuma river), +81 973-24-0420. End of July to the beginning of November, 10:00-21:00 (10:00-17:00 from mid-September). Bamboo fish traps (鮎簗 ayuyana) are erected in the Mikuma river in late summer. Hapless sweetfish (鮎 ayu) are captured, covered in salt and grilled and can be enjoyed with a cool beer, looking out on the river.
 * Onta Pottery Village (小鹿田焼村). A small mountain village based around production of distinctive Onta-yaki style pottery. The pottery is still made via the traditional method, introduced to the area by Korean potters in the 16th century. Water driven, see-saw pounders grind down the local clay for moulding into plates, pots, cups and other ceramics. The sound of the see-saws and running water combined with the scenic mountainside create a tranquil atmosphere.
 * Amagase Spa Town, Amagase-machi (天ヶ瀬町). A popular hot-spring resort town about 30 minutes drive from Hita. There are many different types of hot spring overlooking the Mikuma river. These even include a rose petal bath!
 * Amagase Spa Town, Amagase-machi (天ヶ瀬町). A popular hot-spring resort town about 30 minutes drive from Hita. There are many different types of hot spring overlooking the Mikuma river. These even include a rose petal bath!

Festivals

 * Hina Dolls Festival (February/March): During the national Doll's Festival the museums and old houses of Mameda-machi and Kuma-machi open their doors to the public and display their collection of dolls.
 * Cherry Blossom Festival (First Sunday in April): Kizan Park hosts Hita's Cherry Blossom-viewing (hanami) event, where people can enjoy a stroll by the river and a drink under the blossom.
 * River Opening Festival (First weekend after May 20th): A two-day firework display that launches more than 10,000 fireworks over the Mikuma river. If you book well in advance you can watch the display from a river boat!
 * Gion Festival (First Sunday after July 20th): Huge wooden floats (up to 12 m high) from different areas of the city are pushed around the streets by volunteers. Foreigners have been known to be invited.
 * Tenryo Festival (Third weekend in October): This festival celebrates Hita's Edo period, when the city (then called Tenryo) was the capital of Kyushu. The highlight is a procession of 200 people through the city in full Edo-period costume.

Buy

 * Onta Pottery - Various types of ceramic produced in the distinctive Onta-yaki style can be purchased in Hita. Pottery can be purchased from the workshops in Onta village or from shops in Mameda-machi.
 * Woodcraft - Hita is famous for its quality bamboo and cedar timbers. Wood-carving has been ongoing since the Meiji period. Beautifully grained wooden clogs (下駄 geta) are the local speciality. Many products can be purchased in Mameda-machi.

Eat

Drink

 * Xi Amazing Bar, This is a sports bar/flare cocktail bar. The bar staff are very friendly and will put on a show of their cocktail spinning skills if you ask. Great drinks, great fun.
 * If, This tiny cocktail bar with under ten seats but over 400 bottles of spirit lining the walls is run by the English-speaking Kohda-san. He is a former cocktail-making champion and he will make you any cocktail you can name, or tailor one to your liking. Intimate and chilled.

Sleep

 * Hotel Socia (ホテルソシア), Moto-machi (元町) 17-3 (100 m south of Hita station), +81 973-24-6000 (Fax: +81 973-24-3020). Open 24/7. This is the largest hotel in Hita; it's close to the station and centre of town. The manager Umeyama-san speaks good English and is very helpful. Rooms ¥7500-20000. Ladies rooms and Japanese style also available. 20% discount if booked online.

Go next

 * Kusu
 * Kokonoe
 * Yufu
 * Oita
 * Ukiha
 * Kurume
 * Nakatsu
 * Toho
 * Tagawa

title: Hita


text:
Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is one of the cheapest ways of traveling. By tradition, hitchhiking is defined as soliciting a ride by standing at the edge of a road, facing traffic, with one's thumb extended/upwards. You can meet a lot of people and make lots of friends. You can also become very frustrated, or encounter danger on the way; today's drivers are more fearful of picking up hitchhikers than in the past. But it's also a great feeling to get a ride after you've been waiting for a long time. People who do pick up hitchhikers tend to be very friendly. However, hitchhikers also risk being picked up by someone who is an unsafe driver or even dangerous to their person.

Hitchhiking in itself is rarely illegal, but there are often rules about where you can do it (e.g. not on highways, near intersections, at bus stops), so read up on the rules first to avoid getting booked for "trespassing" or "obstructing traffic".

The Hitchhiking Wiki has a lot of useful information. Read up about the different country articles and use the city articles to get out of bigger cities.

Although hitchhiking is easier in some regions than in others, it is possible to get nearly anywhere by thumb. In some regions you are expected to pay a share of the expenses.

Before

 * Be prepared to walk all day. It is not easy and you need to think that it is more of a walking adventure with a chance of getting a ride more than anything else. This is the most unanticipated problem of most hitch-hikers today.
 * Therefore, you also have to consider travelling light. To get to the right spot or reach destinations off the main routes, you will most always have to walk a lot—distances of 10 km per day are not uncommon. Hence, instead of carrying 20 kg of everything you deem necessary, better stick with 10 kg of what you will really need. If you travel minimalistically, also pack this way. In addition, some drivers may be reluctant to find space for you and clumsy baggage.
 * Have a map of the area, so you can determine whether a ride will actually bring you closer to your destination.
 * Learn the language, at least a little. Hitchhiking can be a good way to improve your conversation skills. Often drivers pick up hikers to have some conversation on an otherwise long and lonely trip. Our hitchhiking phrasebook has a few phrases that are useful when boarding and getting off, while Talk is about how to cope with language difficulties more generally.
 * Make sure to carry enough food and drink if you're going for a long trip. Gas stations are usually a bit expensive for replenishing these supplies.
 * Arrange sleeping places. For example, a hospitality exchange host, a youth hostel, or a squat are good places to start. Your arrival time will need to be flexible as any difficulty in getting a ride will delay your travel. If you cannot arrange a place, take a tent with you, rubberized German poncho, and a warm sleeping bag.
 * Hitchhiking may be illegal in some areas or on certain types of roads. Enforcement of laws against hitchhiking may vary. Ask locals. It is usually a bad idea to hitchhike if an encounter with the police would create additional problems (e.g. your visa basis is shaky for what you are doing).
 * Dress in layers if the weather is uncertain. Make sure that your heavier layer will shield you from cold winds and random showers, but is light enough that it won't weigh you down too much when you remove it. Some people (for example the "Moscow school of hitchhikers") swear that bright colors with high visibility get you away quicker. See below for other appearance considerations.
 * Some hitchhikers recommend taking a foldable bike (which can be stowed in a car's back seat) as back-up transportation.
 * Bring a black marker, a hat, a flashlight, a pocketknife, sunscreen, etc. It is best to be prepared and these items do not weigh much.
 * A small whiteboard and dry-erase markers make it easy to create a destination board and to change it as needed.
 * Depending on the length of your trip, it may be massively useful to bring a towel. There are light ones.

Appearance

You should have clothes and gear for the weather, but you should also think about the impression your clothing gives.

Bright clothes make you stand out, giving drivers more time to react, but do not overdo it, unless you want to look odd.

A short skirt can help women get a ride, but often from drivers you shouldn't accept a ride from. Military-looking clothes can make you look threatening or unsympathetic—although a proper uniform may get you sympathy where conscripts hitchhike home for leave, if you look the part. A suit will make you seem odd—why aren't you hailing a taxi? A more casual outfit is probably better. A pair of light glasses can make you look more nerdy and thus less threatening and more friendly, but covering your face with sunglasses may have the opposite effect. An odd look will turn away some drivers and attract others, which sometimes is good where traffic is abundant but nobody picks you up.

It is probably good to try understanding what people are scared of and what they deem sympathetic and least threatening. This does not vary much around the world, it is mostly always the same fears that are fueled. One thing which may differ is associations with recent or ongoing conflicts: symbols such as a flag, or clothing related to some ethnic or social group, can awaken very different feelings.

People are scared of criminals and bums, and some disdain freeloading and non-working hippies. However, they are happy about tourists from well known and respected countries that bring money into their own country (or otherwise seem sympathetic) and hopefully speak a common language. They are also sympathetic to people who look like they or their children would when hitchhiking. Some will give a ride to people from exciting places or people who seem to have good stories to tell. Use this to you advantage when deciding on a look.

Getting a ride
For hitchhiking long distances, some parts of the world, like parts of North America and Europe, are densely populated and make for easy hitching. Other parts, like Central Asia, have lower traffic and may result in harder transportation.

Location

 * The three most important factors for getting a ride are: location, location, and location. You need to find a place where you can be seen early (to give the driver time to decide to pick you up), and where the driver can safely pull over. Ideally, there should be some traffic, but not too much, as this makes pulling over difficult and makes drivers assume that you can always get a ride with somebody else.
 * Don't try to catch a ride from downtown, instead catch public transport to the edge of town. City drivers are mostly traveling short distances, and it can be difficult for you to stand out or get them to stop in heavy traffic. Check your map, or ask around, to find a good spot.
 * If your destination is a large city, first choice is usually to be dropped in a central location near your destination; second choice is a transit-friendly location such as a large mall or a subway/metro station. An outer suburb will typically have fewer public transit options; suburban local bus may require multiple transfers and multiple fares, while a commuter rail station may have no train service outside peak traffic hours.
 * For long-distance travel, never get taken into the middle of town! You will most likely find it very difficult to get back out. Get dropped off close to the highway—especially if the main road bypasses the commercial district. For instance, the only suitable location in tiny Wawa might be out beside the big goose on the Trans-Canada Highway.
 * Unattended highway rest areas are ill-advised, particularly in the USA, due to the number of "disturbing incidents" at these locales... and the reputation for them which leads many motorists to avoid them. Motorists may assume that you were thrown out of a vehicle there.
 * An exception to the "rest area" rule is the commercial rest area, "oasis" or "service plaza". These are generally safer as they're staffed businesses with generally more people patronizing them. You will want to purchase a small item so as not to be trespassing on the concessionaires' leased area. A CB radio (to talk to truck drivers, and other people with CB radios passing by on the main line of the highway) is a good tool for service areas. You can purchase a handheld one for around US$40.00 at many truck stops (if you travel internationally, check what channels, if any, can be used abroad).
 * The absolute best place to catch a good ride is on a public highway on ramp, near a truck stop, but not on the truck stop property itself, as those are good places to get thrown out of for trespassing. In Northern California (US 101) and in the Seattle area, many highway on-ramps are also bus stops and thus do double duty in regards to catching a ride.
 * Land borders where traffic has to stop are great. One caveat to hitching just before a border, however, is that drivers may be wary of transporting you across an international border itself, thus decreasing your chances of catching a ride. You may find better success crossing the border on foot, and hitching from the other side. If you attempt this, be aware of when a border is buffered by a militarized "no-man's land," through which it is illegal to cross on foot or camp, making it crucial to find a ride within this few-hundred-metre stretch of road before dark. The border between Turkey and Greece is one such example. Also, sneaking into countries is an option, albeit an ill-advised and illegal one.
 * Fuel stations where many cars stop are good. In some countries, such as Mexico, the attendants may even help you on your journey. It takes a bit more gusto, but there is a much better chance of success if you actually ask someone for a ride. Though, if you are not doing business at the station, there is a possibility of getting thrown off the property. Just be cordial and leave if you are asked to.
 * Laybys and roadside picnic areas are good, although less so in the USA as roadside picnic areas tend to be in the middle of nowhere.
 * Avoid places where drivers cannot easily and legally stop. After a crossroads, where the cars have just picked up speed, many may not want to slow down. However, shortly after traffic lights might be lucky, because drivers have enough time to notice you, namely when they are waiting for a green light.
 * Getting a ride at night is very difficult. You might have some luck at a filling station, where people can see you, but realistically you are probably better off camping out for the night and starting off again at first light.
 * Local public transit can bypass segments which are not pedestrian-friendly, such as the Windsor-Detroit border crossing, but will typically cost a few dollars.
 * Take advice from non-hitchhikers as to the best places for hitching with a grain of salt.
 * Check the map for popular tourist spots in the area—Rental car agencies often have good and free maps.
 * Some places, like The Netherlands and Cuba have designated hitchhiking points that are signposted (and in Cuba, staffed!)

Attracting a ride

 * Asking around doesn't hurt. If people notice you're friendly and speak their language (or one they feel comfortable talking, or one they want to practice) you have a much higher chance of getting a ride from them.
 * Make sure you know the right gestures used locally to stop a car. The thumb up sign works in some parts of the world, but has very different meanings in some areas. An outstretched waving arm is another common gesture, but generally defer to locals. Drivers may also use gestures: pointing downwards with the index finger means that they're staying in town. A swirling motion with a downward pointed finger is the same, but can also mean that you might see them again in a minute or so as they make the trip again. A flat hand down means that the car is weighted down, aka full.
 * Sometimes walking in the direction you want to go, especially if nobody is stopping to pick you up, can attract rides. It also might bring you closer to your destination and reach other sources of traffic at junctions. On the other hand, if you wander too far from a town, people may wonder what you did to get stranded there, it might be hard to get back in case it gets dark, or put you in an inhospitable environment such as a desert or up in the mountains. Nevertheless, statistically every on-ramp you pass while walking increases the chances of a person going to your final destination passing you, and hitchhiking truly is a numbers game, the more cars that pass you the more likely you are to get a ride.
 * Nod or wave thanks to all who at least give you eye contact and especially those who give you gestures explaining why they cannot take you. Not only does it lighten the fear of hitchers and make you feel much better along the way, some may even come back and pick you up. Not to be counted on though.2018-5 Omu chennel hitchhiking to Wkkanai.jpg]]
 * A big cardboard sign with an indication of where you want to go can help. Short general directions like North, or West can be written bigger—and seen from further away—than a longer city or town, but a city is more useful for drivers.
 * Nonspecific 'general' directions are really only useful at on-ramps where traffic goes in two directions, like standing before a toll plaza, otherwise, the next town with a truck stop is recommended.
 * Avoid writing destinations far away, this gives you a good excuse to get off if you feel uncomfortable with the driver, you can always agree to go further if the driver turns out to be going your way. Also, indicating close destinations will attract short lifts. In Germany 200 km seems to be a good distance.
 * It can be a good idea to not indicate your final destination. If you can get a ride in a direction that is not exactly the best one, it could still be a good idea to take it, since you might be able to get more rides from that spot.
 * Some people do not believe in direction signs, and suggest funny ones ("I DON'T STINK") or nothing at all.
 * Holding your sign upside down may sometimes help to get a ride out of pity.
 * If you speak the local language, saying this on your sign may also be useful.
 * Some drivers will not stop based on their own racial, cultural, or gender prejudice. While this can be upsetting, consider that you may be better off not riding with such a person.
 * If you are travelling with a companion, stand together and make it obvious that you want a ride together. Drivers don't want to be surprised by an extra person. Do not let someone split you up unless you are very desperate.
 * Always stay happy and wear a smile—even if people react nastily.
 * If you are more of an adventurous type, try hiking around with a large or unusual object. Tony Hawks hiked through Ireland with a fridge and wrote a book about it. It seems to help getting rides and ... there's always something to talk about!
 * If hitchhiking in the USA, you may want to buy a military-style rucksack at a surplus store. These items are cheap, easily recognizable and can incite interest/sympathy from drivers. If the driver asks about your military background, a white lie such as "my cousin gave it to me" will usually do the trick. Be prepared to have a believable story ready if an explanation is needed. The downside to a military pack is that they're harder to carry than a typical framed backpack.
 * Another writer, based on decades of hitching in the USA, has developed these rules:
 * Wear white or a very light color. It implies cleanliness and is far easier to see, plus the cops react favorably.
 * Remember that the driver has only a second to see you. Stand near a highway sign so drivers have a better chance to focus in time to stop.
 * If you cannot walk where you're going, don't try. Better to spend some time at a fair spot than waste that time trudging through the boonies.
 * If possible, carry your belongings in a large briefcase or similar. You'll be welcome in clean new cars and in places where a duffle bag is inappropriate. Visiting a laundromat pays off in better rides.
 * Use signs. A piece of yellow lightweight plastic sign material is ideal, along with strips of black electrical tape to make the letters. A big LA works better than a smaller Los Angeles.
 * Do not smoke while trying to catch a ride. Decide which is more important to you.
 * Finally, ask yourself: would I pick me up? Think like a driver who might enjoy giving you a ride.

Choosing a ride

 * Be aware that solitary male drivers are the most likely to pick you up. Female drivers and families are a possibility, but they are much less likely to stop for you. Nevertheless, they become more likely if you are female.
 * If you're waiting for a long time and all the cars that want to take you go in the wrong direction it can be a good idea to let them take you anyway—just to drop you at a better spot.
 * Sometimes you get an offer that brings you a little way in the right direction. This can be okay, but if you're at a place where lots of cars stop, it could be a better idea to wait for an offer that brings you a lot further.
 * Ask if you can be dropped at a good spot for getting more rides if your ride isn't bringing you to your final destination, e.g. a gas station or a toll place.
 * When possible, try to agree on precisely where you'll be dropped off.

Alternatives

 * A somewhat more reliable alternative is ride sharing. People who travel long distance advertise their trips on the internet and you can ask for a ride, but you are usually expected to pay. Sites in different countries use different systems, but it is best to find a site which concentrates on long-distance and one-off trips rather than regular commutes. University students and backpackers often need long rides home, so join Facebook groups or forums which cater to them.
 * Using a digital system is good for safety as it provides a record of communication between driver and passenger should anything go wrong.
 * Getting over bodies of water require somewhat different strategies, see Hitchhiking boats.

Backup
Always have a backup plan in case your hitchhiking is unsuccessful. This may include:
 * carrying a tent with you
 * knowing or looking up public transport options
 * walking to a better place or back to civilisation
 * knowing or looking up nearby accommodation options

Respect
While a mobile telephone and automobile association membership may be all that prevent the average motorist becoming a hitchhiker themselves the next time their vehicle breaks down at roadside, most drivers have their own safety concerns when dealing with hitchhikers. Many will not offer rides at all because they fear a passenger may harm them or steal from them. Others may stop only if they're not already carrying passengers or valuables, or may be hesitant to stop at night or in an unfamiliar area.

There are also road safety issues.

 * Make yourself visible from as far a distance as possible. Cars will need a surprisingly long distance to see you, read your sign, decide to stop for you, and come to a stop safely. Vehicles need four times the distance to safely stop on a 100 km/h highway vs. a 50 km/h local road! If you stand on a curve, or in conditions of limited visibility, drivers are even less likely to stop for you. Make it easy for them!
 * The driver is doing you a favour by offering you a free ride. Don't abuse their generosity by asking for handouts ("spare some change?") or trying to get them to change their destination for you.
 * Smoking can be an awkward issue. Smoking while holding out your thumb will dissuade non-smoking drivers from picking you up. If you're a smoker, don't smoke in your driver's car unless you're invited. Conversely, if you're an asthmatic and your driver is hopelessly addicted to nicotine, you'll either have to put up with it or ask to be let out.
 * Border crossings can be problematic. Entering a foreign land is awkward enough; bringing a hitchhiker across an international boundary will give customs and immigration officials a pretext to pick apart the vehicle—and some borders cannot be passed on foot.
 * Don't litter. This applies to your hitchhiking spot, and your host's car.
 * Don't expect your driver to do anything unsafe or prohibited, such as an illegal U-turn on a divided motorway or a sudden stop to let you disembark in a "no stopping" or "no pedestrians" zone.
 * Many drivers who pick up hitchhikers do so for their company, be prepared for a conversation. Be talkative if it seems your driver likes it, but be considerate of when the driver needs to concentrate on the driving or if their body language indicates they want some peace and quiet.
 * Lastly, the driver is a complete stranger who is just trying to get safely to their destination. Save the more bizarre enquiries ("I'm an adrenalin junkie; can I ride on top of the car?") for someone who actually knows you and can judge whether this is real or all just some bizarre joke.

Respect is a two-way street. If you are a motorist, you are under no obligation to offer free rides but you are legally and morally responsible for the safety of any passengers you do agree to transport. Operate your vehicle responsibly.. Allow passengers to disembark in safe locations with access to onward transport if they're not within walking distance of the destination.

Scams
It is not unheard of, e.g. in Eastern Europe, that drivers take you for the ride inviting you in, just to turn out to be taxis which demand an exortibantly high fare for their ride. This is different from countries where paying for a ride is the normal practice (see the country table below). It is unlikely to happen for shorter distances, e.g. where you just go a few kilometer to reach a nearby destination.

In a dodgy twist of this scam, the scammer will put up their "taxi" sign ontop of the roof during the ride (e.g. unnoticed at a rest stop or so) and claim it was there all along and you just missed it. While of course he could actually be a taxi (but the missing meter points against that), in no country will a price ever be negotiated at the middle or end of the ride.

Don't get fooled, they will prey upon your innocence!

Red flags include:
 * They will pretend the ride is free when you ask how much it is when entering their vehicle.
 * A highly inflated proposed fare compared to other costs in that country.
 * Only at the last instance they will come up with the topic of payment, putting the blame and pressure upon you.
 * They will point to their taxi sign on the roof, and pretend you missed it—even though proper taxis always have a meter.
 * When not intending to pay, they will claim to drive to the police. However, while this might sound worrying, the police will more often be on your side.

To avoid:
 * Clearly state that you intend to ride for free (in some former Soviet countries, including Turkic-speaking ones, the use of the word autostop might help as well as in Turkey where otostop is better understood) and/or that you do not have any money with you—use a translator.
 * Just ask whether they are taxi or say taxi, no! and wait for a confirmation.
 * Have all your belonging with you ready, just in case things go badly.
 * If there are already other people in the car, it is particularly important that the driver understands your intentions.

In case things still go sideways:
 * Demand to be brought to a police station where to settle the issue. Most police station will not be on the taxi driver side and understand that something is wrong.
 * Call the police and demand advice, tell them where you are and what is happening, especially when the driver doesn't stop. They might be able to spot you, or at least they got your number.
 * Come up with some coins and pretend that this is all you got. If it covers the fuel costs, the scammer will probably back down.
 * As a last resort, leave the car at the first instance possible and walk away as quickly as possible, potentially into a direction the scammer cannot follow with his car. At all costs avoid getting brought somewhere where there are more taxi drivers or even friends of the scammer.
 * If you get the chance, note down or take a picture of the vehicles licence plate and make a report at the nearest police station.

Don't hope for the help of any other people already in the vehicle. They might be complices or innocent by-standers, you cannot know.

Stay safe

 * Take care who you get a ride with. Some criminals prey on hitchhikers. If in doubt, turn down the ride. You can do this non-confrontationally by asking the driver where they're going and telling them you're heading elsewhere.
 * Note the vehicle registration, and its make, model, and color before you take a ride. If you have a cellphone, take a photo or text this information to a friend.
 * If possible, hitchhike with a friend.
 * Choose a car with a single occupant or a couple rather than the last seat in a car full of people.
 * Sit in the front passenger seat, if you can. Rear doors often have child locks on them, meaning they cannot be opened from the inside. If you must sit in the back, check the child lock is off before you close the door.
 * Keep your bag or backpack in easy reach, so you can grab it if you need to bail out. Be prepared to lose it if it is locked in the trunk.
 * Wear at least some of your valuables (i.e. passport, wallet, money, I.D., bank and credit cards, etc.) under or in your clothes, rather than in your pack. Keep them in different places, so that if you lose one item, you don't lose them all. It is a good idea to have your wallet plus two hiding places, an obvious one and a not so obvious one. A good guideline is that criminals will go for your sock before padding up the groin.
 * In some places, the police take a dim view of hitchhikers and will arrest you based on the slightest excuse (or at least waste your time by questioning you).
 * While pedestrians may have the right to walk along most roads, doing so in some places can get you arrested, cited, ticketed, or verbally warned. Find out about which roads you can and cannot walk along.
 * As a general rule, avoid walking along freeways, particularly if it looks unsafe to do so or the jurisdiction you are in prohibits it. In some areas where it is legal to walk on the freeway, it may be wiser and safer to stay on the on-ramp anyway, based on the infrastructure of the road.
 * If you arrange a ride through a ride-matching website, you can request the ID number of the driver who offers the ride; give this number to someone at home. Ask for this ID when you meet the driver; most will understand this precaution.

Red flags and advice for women hitchhiking alone

 * If a driver goes off the main/right road don't be shy about opening the door while the car is moving. Make an excuse, needing the toilet or to throw up or something. Even being on a period (learn the local word – or just wave a tampon at them in panic, the shock might be enough). Don't waste time if this ever happens. Maybe it's a harmless detour, maybe it's not. Check the map before you leave.
 * Persistence! This is a big one, if a man insists you get in the car, firmly walk away. Don't even listen, give a "no, thank you" and turn away.
 * Touching. Even in countries where physical contact is more acceptable, do not just brush off unwelcome 'friendly' touching as a cultural difference. Yes, touching is often more accepted outside of the West but not between men and women and rarely between strangers.
 * Questions about your route, your internet and your phone.
 * Carry a rolling pin strapped to the side of a backpack. This one works surprisingly well. If officials ask about it, you're a keen cook and you like to make 'lavash', or whatever, and it usually just gets a laugh. If you're in real trouble it works as a baton, babushka-style. Hold it on the side away from the driver. Don't carry a knife unless you really know how to use it. Pepper spray can work but in an enclosed space like a car, it'll affect you too, so get out fast, ideally during the spraying.
 * If you carry a smartphone or a map, follow it explicitly while they're driving. Even innocently check every so often, "it's straight here, yes?"
 * Don't get in a car with multiple men and no women.
 * Trucks are generally safer. They have a route to stick to, they're slow so you have time to evaluate a situation, they can't go off onto smaller roads, you sit far away from the driver. Although the negatives are that it's a long jump down from the cab and that the passenger door can be locked from the driver's side.
 * Don't hitch risky roads (isolated country lanes, mountain roads, desert etc.) when it's late or you're tired/hungover/drunk or just not at your best. Just take a bus to the nearest town and ask an official if someone has a spare room. People are generally good, you'll find somewhere.
 * Don't rely on a wedding ring and a fake husband to help you, even on other women.
 * Tie your hair up and don't wear loose clothes that can be grabbed, you want to be able to get out of a car fast.
 * If worst comes to worst, a sharp jab to the throat (when the car is slow or stopped) is easy from the passenger side and gives you a little time to get out.

Countries
Below is a map showing the length of time hitchhikers in different parts of the world have reported waiting until they find a ride. The fainter the colour, the less certain the data are for that location, as of April 2024.

The table below is a briefly lists hitchhiking conditions around the world, ranking countries on four indices:
 * whether hitchhiking is popular or even understood, on a scale of common → occasional → rare → unknown
 * whether getting rides is generally easy, on a scale of easy → medium → hard → very hard
 * whether hitchhiking is legal (outside highways and tollroads, which are nearly universally off limits to foot traffic)
 * whether it's possible to hitchhike for free, or whether payment is expected if picked up by a stranger.

"Varies" means that conditions vary dramatically within the country—please consult the country article for details (look for the "by thumb" paragraph in the "get around" section).

Auto-stop en Europe

title: Hitchhiking


text:
Hitchhiking boats

Apart from making your way round the Caribbean or Polynesia by offering a hand on board yachts which seems to be common and easy, the most common route is the Atlantic crossing from Europe to the Americas (mostly to the Caribbean or Brazil). See Cruising on small craft for more general information on yachts.

Getting started
Be assured that once you hit the marinas everything will be pretty obvious. You will meet other boat hitchhikers and they will share their information with you. Basically you'll be putting up notices offering your help, pacing the docks, approaching people cleaning their yachts, trying to make contact with sailors in the bar, etc. Try to talk to as many people as possible. After a while everyone will know you and will give you hints as to which boat is looking for someone.

If you prefer more high-tech methods, there are several on-line marine crew websites available that specialise in matching crew with boats:
 * findacrew.net is a worldwide network of mariners and is the largest of them all.
 * floatplan.com is a community where skippers and crew meet on-line.
 * oceancrewlink.com is an online service provided by the World Cruising Club that allows crew and skippers to find each other. It is the preferred solution for finding crew for the ARC rallies that the World Cruising Club organizes.

Prerequisites

 * Experience: Experience in sailing is not necessary – although a huge plus in getting a quicker lift – but participating in duties and life on board, of course, is obligatory!
 * Some money: These days most yachts will ask you to chip in for your food. Most boats ask either €10 or €15 on food per day. The Atlantic crossing takes between 15 and 25 days, depending on boat and winds, so you'll need around €150–400 for the crossing alone – count on at least a week in the marina till you find your lift, too. It is possible to get an entirely free lift food included, mostly on bigger yachts where you'll be needed to scrub the deck and polish the silver railing. During the ARC regatta you can even expect boats ask as much as €50 per day since inscription fees are pretty high.
 * Things you'll need: Waterproofs and good shoes are recommended although they are very expensive and if you don’t have them you can wait – the boat you get might provide them and only if not you'll have to acquire them. The Canary Islands are cheaper when compared with mainland Europe and in Gibraltar there are sailor’s “jumble sales”, so you might pay less.
 * Language: Obviously all foreign languages can help, but for the Atlantic crossing speaking at least some French can make a huge difference, since over 60% of sailors on this route are French-speakers.

When to go
Boats go with the trade winds that start to move from East to West across the Atlantic in autumn, so the season is from September to January or February. Top season is as from November. In the end of November each year there is a regatta called ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) leaving from Las Palmas. There will be more boats than at any other time in the marinas and it can be considered safer than leaving with a boat that is going unassisted. There will be more competition on finding a lift though, too.

Winds have become less predictable, and more storms have been happening because of global climate change. The way most sailors comment on this is "the winds are going through a transitional phase to find a new rhythm".

Departure points

 * France
 * South: Antibes
 * North: Brest
 * Southern Spain: If you are English speaking, obviously Gibraltar, Malaga.
 * Portugal: Lisbon and Madeira
 * Canary Islands: The biggest marina is on Gran Canaria, in Las Palmas. Usually from Morocco (see below).

East-west from Africa
If you don’t want to pay the ferry in Algeciras it is possible to sail to Africa, although unless you are extraordinarily lucky, you’ll have to go via the Cape Verde islands which are a stopover for many trans-atlantic sailors. They are between 10 and 14 days from Gibraltar. From there you’ll have to catch a new boat to get to Senegal which is three days away. It is an experience in itself although maybe not the perfect swap for a one-and-a-half hour long ferry ride that’ll cost you €25. You also miss out on Morocco and the crossing of the Sahara Desert, which are highlights of any visit to Africa.

Departure points

 * From Morocco: Essaouira is your best bet, you can also try Agadir. No one crosses over directly from here though, all boats will be going somewhere in the vicinity (Canaries or Senegal for example) with other plans put up for later.
 * If you want to take a flight to the Cape Verde islands: the biggest marina is in Mindelo on São Vicente, the second biggest one is on Sal where the international airport is.
 * From Senegal: Dakar or Casamance. With a very likely stopover on the Cape Verde islands.
 * Since sub-Saharan Africa is out of the influence of the trade winds you can hitch from Senegal almost all year round, although the main bulk of boats will be leaving when it is top season in Europe, that is October to December.
 * There are three sailing clubs in Dakar. “La Voile d’Or” with shallow water which therefore attracts catamarans only, the “CVD” (Club des Voiliers Dakar) where the majority of boats can be found and a third one also in the vicinity of the two ones mentioned. They are all situated not far from another to the South of the “Cap Vert” peninsula and the town centre. If you try to hitch from there it is strongly recommended you speak some French.

Resources
Ocean Nomad: The Complete Atlantic Sailing Crew Guide - How to Catch a Ride and Make a Difference for a Healthier Ocean

Pacific crossing
The Pacific being about 6 times larger than the Atlantic, this is a crossing that is never done without a stop over on at least one of the Polynesian Islands. The most likely end-point for most is Australia or New Zealand.

Boats begin to leave the west coast of Mexico for French Polynesia in March and continue to sail as late as June and July. The cyclone season, or off season, in the South Pacific begins in November. The initial crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia is roughly 2,500 miles and will take 3–4 weeks on an average sized sailing vessel that doesn't carry much fuel. Times very depending on the length of time a boat is stuck in the doldrums or inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

Between Asia and Australia or Oceania
Passages from Australia to Asia can be made with the Sail Indonesia Rally, which takes place annually in July. The other way round it is more difficult. You might be able to join a returning yacht, but many do not return straight away, so you may have difficulties finding them.

Transits will be timed to the winds, with the main obstacle being the strong south-eastern trade wind (especially for those wanting to continue down the Queensland coast). Regarding this the best time for a passage from Bali to Darwin is Christmas to March (it is possible to find the ideal crossing time using the beautiful rendered world wind map) – but that is hurricane season, so an earlier departure may be chosen.

The cost of the passage will depend on the captain. Doubtless you will be asked to contribute for food and perhaps fuel (entirely dependent on the captain. As for subscribing to the websites above (findacrew is the only subscription), this should not be necessary as a serious captain will buy this to advertise himself.

Ideal places to find captains in search of crew are:
 * Findacrew.net
 * Crewbay
 * Floatplan
 * Cruisersforum
 * OceanCrewLink

title: Hitchhiking boats


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Hitchhiking in Japan

Hitchhiking in Japan is the key to true budget travel in the country and the way to escape the country's ruinously expensive domestic transport costs, where an hour on the Shinkansen can set you back ¥10,000. Coupled with camping, you can effectively cut down your daily budget to food and admission fees alone — although it is wise to allow for the occasional (literal) rainy day.

Hitchhiking does present its own unique challenges, but the purpose of this article is to demonstrate that not only is hitching possible, it's downright easy... once you know how.

Where to hitch
It is almost impossible to hitch out of Tokyo or any large Japanese city by waving your thumb on the Ginza. Thus, to get out, you have to find the places where drivers going out congregate, which in practice means service areas (サービスエリア sābisu eria, SA) or parking areas (PA) on the large toll expressways (高速道路 kōsokudōro) connecting Japan's major cities. As you might guess, service areas are larger and better equipped than parking areas (with the special exception of Mekari/Dannoura, see below), but surprisingly few Japanese are familiar with the difference so it's easier to label them all service areas.

A useful rule of thumb (pun intended) is that if you can get somewhere on a train for less than ¥2000, hitchhiking the distance is unlikely to be worth the trouble – for instance destinations around Tokyo such as Mount Fuji, Hakone and Nikko – until you actually get there, that is. All three regions have expensive local transport but plenty of unhurried tourists driving about, always a good combination for the hitchhiker.

Getting on the expressway
Though SA/PAs are generally located inconveniently for walkers, many of them allow access from outside, via ordinary roads on foot (or by car, of course).

Aside from SA/PAs, the second way to get on the expressway is to hitch outside an interchange. ICs do tend to be a bit closer to town, but in Tokyo they are usually in the middle of very heavy traffic and with few, if any, places where hitching is even remotely possible, so getting rides also takes considerably longer. It is generally preferable to sit on a local for an extra half an hour and maybe even pay a few yen for the privilege of not having to choke on exhaust for an hour.

The third method would be to take a long-distance bus that uses the expressway and stops at a parking area along the way. However, cataloguing which routes go where on which roads and which service areas they stop at would be a fairly difficult enterprise, you'll also need to buy a rather expensive bus ticket just to get on the thing, and you'll probably freak out the bus attendants who will certainly notice if the only gaijin on the bus doesn't come back from the break.

An untested but quite valid possibility along these lines is to free yourself from the difficulties of hitching out of Tokyo by taking the Orion night-bus towards Gifu via Nagoya, ideally on a Friday night. You truly get what you pay for here, but it makes a stop around sunrise at a major service area just east of Nagoya. If you can perhaps persuade the driver that this is in fact close to where you want to be ("Thats my friend's house, right over there, really!" - again, this is untested) you will be both on the expressways at an optimal place and awake early enough to get a morning headstart on a long-westbound hitch.

An excellent method to make it to the expressway is simple transporting yourself to a gas station which lies on a road heading to the expressway. Be sure to go to the correct side of the road, as there will obviously be more cars actually heading to the expressway (and remember that Japan drives on the left). If possible, explain the drivers that you simply wish to go to a service area at the highway. This is easiest with a good map that shows service areas or it can be done if you know the name of the expressway and say "service area". This method was done in Yokohama (on the way to Kyoto) with a total waiting time of 2 minutes, albeit with the assistance of a Japanese speaker.

Hitching on the expressway
At the SA/PA itself, the best place to hitch is near the offramp to the expressway, ideally so that you're visible from the buildings — this way drivers can see you as they go in and think about picking you up before they get in their car and make the choice. From a service area with decent traffic, you are very likely to get a ride within minutes. My suggestion here would be to hitch in front of the shops or at the end, close to the toilets. Reason for this is A: most people go to the toilet and B: you can talk to them so they will see you are a nice person as Japanese can be very suspicious.

Once you've made it onto the expressway, it's easy to keep bouncing from one SA/PA to the next one, but a decent highway map is imperative so you know the best place to get off if your destination and your driver's path diverge. Whenever possible, aim for SAs instead of PAs: not only do they have handy things like restaurants, maps and info counters, but they are much busier and thus much easier to hitchhike from. It's entirely possible to cover 500 kilometers or more in a single day by using expressways. A good example of a possible trip is to go from Tokyo to Kyoto in one day.

Note that it is illegal to stop a car or walk on foot anywhere on the expressway itself, including tollbooths, and you will be rapidly picked up by the highway police if you try. Do not allow your driver to drop you off outside a service area.

If you have a Japanese friend or some skills, producing a sign with your destination in Japanese from a piece of cardboard is a good way to inform drivers of your destination and it might increase your chances of finding drivers that can take you longer distances.

Hitching elsewhere
Outside the expressway system on ordinary toll-free national highways (国道 kokudō), there are also occasional service areas of a sort, known as Michi-no-Eki (道の駅), lit. "Road stations". With more than 1,200 scattered all around Japan, these are excellent places to get dropped off, fuel up, consult maps and grab rides.

Other traditional favorites include the offramps of roadside gas stations and convenience stores. The keys are visibility and accessibility: drivers have to be able to spot you in advance, and they have to be able to stop and pick you up without endangering themselves or others.

Note that it is illegal to hitchhike near road crossings or from bus stops, although in rural areas where buses drop by just 2-3 times a day the latter is often tolerated. The very end of a merging lane after a crossing is also OK, as long as you are more than 5 meters away from the crossing itself. In general, hitchhiking is legal and Japanese police don't hassle hitchhikers, but they do have fairly wide-ranging powers to act on anything that disturbs or distracts traffic, so use common sense.

How to hitch
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 "I can speak Japanese!", 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"). It is wise to ask in the service area if they can drop you 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までお願いします (tsugi no saabisu eria made onegai shimasu); 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.

When to hitch
Like other tourism in Japan, the best times of year are spring and fall, when it's not too hot and not too cold. Hitching in the summer risks sunburn and dehydration, while winter is simply too cold. When its colder, become friendlier, so stay in the service area with a nice hot drink and just approach the people.

Distasteful as it may be to get up at 06:00 on vacation, as a hitchhiker you must get an early start. Many of the longest rides are available early in the morning, and your hitchhiking day will come to an end when the sun goes down.

If the weather is bad, it's best to give up hitchhiking for the day and figure out something else to do. A sodden figure standing forlornly in the rain with his thumb out is not a pitiful figure in Japan, he's a dangerous lunatic. Again, just go inside and they will offer you drinks and food.

Who to hitch with
In Japan, as everywhere else, your gender matters when hitchhiking. On an ascending scale of difficulty, the best combinations are:
 * 1) Girl alone (but see below)
 * 2) Two girls
 * 3) Boy and girl couple
 * 4) Boy alone
 * 5) Two boys
 * 6) Three or more people

While a single girl (or woman) is likely to get picked up very fast, this has its risks: Japan has its fair share of perverts and predators and a lone hitchhiker in a foreign country is a vulnerable target.

As for who will pick you up, the range of humanity you will encounter is surprising and, once you've crossed the threshold into their car, the generosity and trust will amaze you. You will be picked up by young couples, grizzled old farmers, families with small children, traveling salesmen, single women, yakuza mobsters, Buddhist monks... and, almost without exception, you will be offered drinks and snacks, bought lunch and quite possibly offered a bed for the night. But try to distinguish between offers of genuine goodwill and interest and offers out of duty or perceived obligation, as your driver is likely to feel that he is a host and he must treat you as an honored guest, despite any inconvenience or even financial expense that this might cause.

As a guest, you will not be allowed to pay any of the expenses, and even efforts to contribute something for gas and toll fares will most likely be delightfully refused. Be thankful for this, as Japan's expressway tolls are extremely high: for example, the trip from Tokyo to Osaka costs around ¥12,000 in tolls alone. Instead, if you really want to thank your hosts, remember that Japan is the country of gifts and return gifts called okaeshi: it might be a good idea to carry some small souvenirs of your country or hometown, like a country pin, or cookies (wrapped of course) or even an airline bottle of liquor. With this you will have really sealed a wonderful human interchange, and you may even make a friend for life.

How to get out of Tokyo

Lots of expressways radiate off Tokyo's local highway system (首都 shuto). So what you want to do is pick a destination, match it to an expressway, and get to the closest PA/SA. Here's the list in clockwise order from west to east, you will probably find it useful to consult a 1:10000 Japanese map to get your bearings. Most English highway signs will not distinguish short and long vowels, but your driver will, so pronounce it right!

A preliminary note about buses: in general, Tokyo's commuter bus system sucks. They run very infrequently (typically 1/hr in the boonies), have a lunch break of several hours, and stop running early. Try to get to the bus station before 11 in the morning, or you'll probably have to wait until 2 in the afternoon for the next one!

Tōmei Expressway (東名)
Going South-west: Go to the Ebina service area. Go to the Shake station (study your map, this is why you can't go without) and ask a person at the station how to walk. They will tell you it's too far (it is!) and so you ask them to give you a ride or know someone. Otherwise take a taxi. For: Fuji/Gotemba, Hakone, Nagoya, western Japan Where: Kōhoku PA (港北) Last verified: December 2011 Directions: Go to Tōkaichiba (十日市場) station on the JR Yokohama line through any one of a number of connections (Shibuya to Nagatsuta via Tokyu Den-en-toshi, Shibuya to Shin-Yokohama via Tokyu Toyoko, Shinjuku to Machida via Odakyu, etc.) The train trip is only 30 minutes, but it's a few hilly kilometers to the PA, so consult an area map before you set off - you'll find a good one outside the North exit of the station (the map was destroyed in April 2009). You will need to head East down the expressway about 2-3 kilometers. This is easiest along the Northern edge of the raised expressway. There is a small overpass very close to the PA, cross over it and walk down the slight hill. There is an area here where you can jump the 1.5m fence, or alternatively walk to the far Eastern end of the PA and go in the open entrance for highway bus passengers. Kōhoku PA is little bit closer to Fujigaoka (藤が丘駅) station Tokyu Den-en-toshi line (東急田園都市線).

Alternative: Yōga IC (用賀), near Tokyu Den-en-toshi line (東急田園都市線) Yōga station (用賀駅) Last verified: November 2010 Go to Yōga station (用賀駅) on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi line and walk about 8 minutes direction west along the expressway to McDonalds restaurant. The ramp in front of the restaurant is for the Tōmei Expressway direction south. Since there is no good place for hitchhiking on the street, it is better to talk to people at the parking or at the drive-thru. Ask if they go to Kōhoku PA or Ebina service area. Ebina SA is about 30 km south of Tokyo - big parking area with many cars passing direction Nagoya or even to Osaka.

Chūō Expressway (中央)
For: Fujiyoshida, Lake Kawaguchi, Nagano, Gifu, and (the slow route to) Nagoya & western Japan Where: Ishikawa PA (石川) - while a PA by name, it's rather a SA by features and traffic Where not: Takaido IC (高井戸, near Keio Inokashira/Takaido stn.) or Eifuku IC (永福, near Keio/Meidaimae stn.), both way too busy Cost from Yamanote line: ~¥800 Last verified: November 2011

Directions: Get to Kichijoji (吉祥寺) via Keio Inokashira from Shibuya or JR Chuo from Shinjuku, switch to JR Chuo (preferably a kaisoku commuter express to Takao, otherwise you'll have to change trains a few times) and go to either Toyoda (豊田) or Hino (日野). From Toyoda station (north exit), take Keio bus 日04 from platform 2 to Ishikawacho-higashi (石川町東). They run from 7:35 to 18:15, usually at 35 past the hour, but there is no 12:35 bus. The same bus runs to Hino station so you can catch it from there too. The distance is about 3 km and the bus route is reasonably straightforward, so it is also walkable if you're in the mood.

Once at Ishikawachō-higashi, backtrack to the lights (assuming you're coming from Toyoda), you'll see the highway on your left. Go to the highway, but not under it—turn left, up the hill, then open the gate that you are not supposed to open, walk up to the SA fence and jump over the one-meter gate if it is locked. You're in!

Note: Chuo branches a few times, be sure you know what branch you want to go to and what branch your driver will go to. The first is Ootsuki Junction (大月), where the road splits between the Nagano and Fujiyoshida branches; the last SA before the junction is Dangōzaka (談合坂). The next is Okaya: the split between Nagoya and Nagano branches; the last SA before the junction is Suwako (諏訪湖). Suwako actually comes with its own onsen within the service area so if you're willing to gender restrict your rides, you could even try to solicit your next lift from within a bathtub. Only in Japan!

Kan'etsu Expressway (関越)
For: Niigata, Sado Island, Japan Sea coast Where: Miyoshi PA (三芳) Alternative: Nerima IC (練馬), approx 1 km from Seibu Ikebukuro line (西武池袋線) Shakujii-kouen (石神井公園) station Cost from Yamanote line: ~¥500 Last verified: April 1998

Directions: Take the Tōbu Tōjō (東武東上) line from Ikebukuro to Tsuruse station. From the station, take Raifu Basu #4 to the Sentoraru Byōin (センとラル病院) stop, as usual it runs once per hour except during lunchtime. The bus will deposit you on the wrong side of the parking area, cross the bridge to get to the side going away from Tokyo. Alternatively, you can walk the 3 km or so from Fujimino station; there should also be a bus from Fujimino, but it didn't seem to exist...

Tōhoku Expressway (東北)
For: Utsunomiya, Sendai, Miyagi-Iwate coast, northern Japan, Hokkaido Where: Hasuda PA (蓮田) Last verified: December 2011

Directions: Go to Hasuda station on the JR Utsunomiya (宇都宮) line, starting from Shinjuku or Tokyo. Take the east exit and locate platform #3, take Tōbu (東武) bus #4 to Shiyakusho-mae (市役所前). Right before the stop the bus actually goes under the expressway, return to the bridge (don't go under it!) and head a few hundred meters up the hill/to the north along the expressway until you reach the PA. The gate may be locked, but the fence is low and jumping over it is no problem.

Jōban Expressway (常磐)
For: Mito, Iwaki, Sendai (slow route) Where maybe: Mukōjima IC (向島) up the riverside and across the bridge from Asakusa, Kahei PA (加平) from Kita-Ayase (北綾瀬) on Metro Chiyoda line or Yashio PA (八潮) near Yashio station on the Tsukuba Express line; all on Shuto 6 connecting to Jōban Where maybe: Moriya SA (守谷) about 3 km from Moriya station on the Tsukuba Express.

This highway was the bane of the hitchhiker, as there appeared to be no decent way of getting onto it but the relatively new Tsukuba Express railway line (opened 2005) has two stations near PA/SA. The nearest real service area, Moriya SA (守谷), is easily reached by Tsukuba express plus a 3 km walk. The IC and PA listed above are unexplored possibilities. One sure way: take a ¥2000 train to Mito and start there...

Warning: If you get on at Mukōjima IC, the road soon joins Shuto C2, after which C2 branches off again towards the Tōhoku Expressway. Make sure you know where your driver is going!

Higashi-Kantō Expressway (東関東)
For: Narita, Boso Peninsula

What, you're going to hitchhike to catch your flight!? Do yourself a favor and take the train, Keisei'll get you there for ¥1000. If you insist, you could try to catch the Expressway Bayshore Line (高速湾岸線) from Odaiba or Shin-Kiba, which transforms into the Higashi-Kantō.

How to get out of Nagoya
Going South West for Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima: Take a train to Ogaki Station and change for Mino Takada station and walk for about 30 minutes, one of my best spots so far! You need about 2.5 hours to get there. Going North-east for Yokohama, Tokyo: Take a train to one station after Mikawa-Toyota and walk for about 30–45 minutes. Again you need about 2.5 hours.

How to get out of Kansai
Going East towards Tokyo, take a train to Otsu. It's about 2-3 stops past Kyoto and every express train stops there. From the station, make your way south-east, up the hill. The Otsu service area (大津) is a true freak occurrence as it is a) close to a major train station and b) has a restaurant packing amazing views of Lake Biwa (weather pending) so expect tonnes of lunchtime traffic. Furthermore, the toilet and restaurant entry are along a single undercover path so your posing position is obvious and sheltered. From the station, as the crow flies, you're heading about half a kilometre uphill, but in reality, the suburbs you'll walk through are a mess so its more 1–2 km. Generally just make your way uphill and left using major roads only, towards the highschool up on the hill. All the suburban streets are lengthy dead ends. There's a poorly signposted on-ramp attached to the service area so you may see directions for that. Once you reach the steep busy road leading to the on-ramp, stick to the right-hand side and keep an eye out for a long set of concrete stairs. This is strictly the staff entry but the 1.5 m tall gate is typically left swinging in the breeze. Youkoso!

For Westbound traffic, find your way to the service area in Kobe (神戸) or camp out a road close to one of the ETC entry points around Kobe. The city is kind enough to mark these locales on the town's visitor guide maps.

How to get out of Hiroshima/Iwakuni
Miyajima service area (宮島) is roughly a half hour walk uphill from JR Miyauchikushido (ＪＲ宮内串戸) station, Hatsukaichi, stuck halfway between the urban centres of Hiroshima and Iwakuni. Like almost all service areas west of Kansai, Miyajima packs a formal entry point for those on foot, and attached auxiliary carpark such that outside visitors may patronise the restaurants, so don't worry about fence-jumping, your entry is 100% legal. Use this area even if eastbound because the next closest is quite the trek, practically in Okayama. Being situated near peaceful Hiroshima, you'll find the locals are extremely friendly towards foreigners so even hitching up the service area itself is a possibility. Remember, north side to go east, south side to go west.

Alternately, you could try departing from the expressway bypass onramp about 500 m from the station, but the walk is usually worth the effort.

Incidentally, the cheap train ticket to this particular service area from Hiroshima/Iwakuni makes it a rather nice stopover if trying to hitch from southern Kyushu to Nagoya/Nagano/Tokyo or vice-versa, furthered by the fact that both towns host cheap station-front (駅前) smoke-free manga cafes to sleep in.

How to get out of Kyushu
Obviously, this depends on where in Kyushu you are, but there are a few points worth noting:

The biggest service area on the entire island is Koga (古賀), just north-east of Fukuoka. An easy place to get a ride in both directions, and also just a touch north of the central four-way interchange—ensure you confirm your destination with your rides.

If heading north on to Honshu, there is an extremely long gap, 2-3 times the usual between service areas so you'll have to make a stop over at a parking area, which is OK because...

The busiest rest stop in the region is not a service area. Let's repeat this once more: Kyushu's busiest expressway rest stop is Mekari parking area (めかり) in Mojiko, Kitakyushu. Whilst a parking area in name, both Mekari, and its southbound sister parking area Dannoura (壇之浦) over the bridge in Shimonoseki (on Honshu), are practically service areas. Dannoura even has its own dedicated motel. They pack amazing views of the Kanmon straights, once of the world's busiest shipping lanes and the restaurants and souvenir shops stock Fugu (deadly pufferfish, the famous local delicacy). As you can therefore imagine, they see an insane amount of traffic. Locals will claim that on weekends, every last Japanese tourist stops at these areas without fail. Furthermore, if you happen to be starting from Kitakyushu or Shimonoseki, both areas are an easy saunter up a well marked path: follow the backstreets uphill from the fish market for Dannoura, take the stone steps besides near the Kanmon tunnel pedestrian elevator under the bridge for Mekari.

Basically all service areas and the aforementioned special parking areas in Kyushu provide formal back entrances and auxiliary parking to allow farmers or tourists use of the restaurant or viewing platform facilities so if you can identify one close to a train station on Google Earth or Yahoo! Maps, expect easy and legal entry.

Getting into Tokyo
95% of the time, once on the expressway, getting back to Tokyo is a piece of cake: your driver is also going to Tokyo, so he'll drop you off at the nearest train or subway station, and you can find your way home. Problems arise the other 5% of the time, when your driver is going either through Tokyo or to a part of Tokyo extremely far from your part of Tokyo. What to do?

Your driver may exit the expressway just so you can get off, but this is a waste of time and money for him, as he has to fight his way back and pay an extra toll, so don't count on it. The driver may also try to drop you off at a tollbooth or at an interchange, which will either get you in hot water from the authorities or dead from being hit by a car. The least of three evils is thus getting dropped off at a service area.

Moral of the story: when near a big city, feel free to reject rides that aren't going close enough. There will be more.

Shuto Service Areas (aka Tokyo Re-entry)
If the service area is one of those listed in the Tokyo section above, you know how to get back. If not, you have been left at a service area not listed for a good reason. Almost all the 15+ parking areas on the Shuto are tiny (space for around 20 cars max), suspended multiple stories above the earth with entrance/exit possible only through staff quarters, and inconveniently located to boot. However, as getting out is a lesser crime, you may be able to sweet-talk somebody into unlocking those staff-only doors and letting you out, as long as you promise not to come back in.

The Shuto network is an indecipherable tangle that looks vaguely similar to the Tokyo subway system, except that most stations are accessible only when going in one direction and you have 5 seconds to decide whether to exit. The parking areas are omitted from most maps, only specialty maps will usually show them. One convention worth learning quickly: all routes and lanes going towards the center are nobori (上り, going up), whereas routes and lanes exiting Tokyo are kudari (下り, going down). The majority of Shuto parking areas are nobori-only, a small saving grace for the hitchhiker coming in, but yet another reason why they're useless for exiting Tokyo.

A historical footnote that may help your wrap your head around this warped system: The circular nature of the Tokyo Shuto system is actually derived from Edo's ancient expansionary-focussed spiral town planning and the expressway routes are named after how many towns (区) the semicircular route passes through. As such, larger numbers imply you are further from the centre. Incidentally, major non-expressway routes through Tokyo follow this same system, Kanpachi-dori is circle 8, and the Yamanote train line is in fact circle 5 or 6 or something.

Shuto 3 (高速3号)
Connecting to: Tōmei

Yōga PA (用賀)
Access: Nobori only Last verified: Never

Located at the very beginning of the Shuto, in Setagaya.

Shuto 4 (高速4号)
Connecting to: Chūō

Eifuku PA (永福)
Access: Nobori only Last verified: Never

Small. Somewhat oddly located right next to a row of tollbooths and an exit (which thus cannot be used even illegally, since they'll spot you if you try to walk it!). If you do find your way out, Meidaimae station at the crossing of both Keio lines is nearby (ask for directions).

Yoyogi PA (代々木)
Access: Nobori only Last verified: August 2000

A pathetic one-lane excuse for a parking area quite literally suspended three stories above the earth. Climbing over the fence would be easy if the drop weren't likely to kill you; there's also an expressway entrance nearby, but as noted earlier, walking on it is highly illegal and dangerous to boot. The third option : at the furthest tip (from your arrival point) of the building is a door, which leads to a staircase, which leads outside. The doors along the route may, or may not, be locked. Once you do get out, one block straight and a few to the right will get you to Yoyogi station on the Yamanote/O-Edo lines. (Odakyu line Minami-Shinjuku station is also nearby.)

It might theoretically even be possible to get into the PA this way, literally through the back door, but if the doors are locked you're out of luck, westbound is towards Tokyo, not out of it, the Shuto splits into about 17 different directions soon after the PA, and the PA deservedly gets little enough traffic as it is. And you'll annoy the friendly janitor.

Shuto 6 (高速6号)
Connecting to: Jōban

Kahei PA (加平）
Access: Kudari only Last verified: Never

Located beside a highway entrance spiral, this one may actually be accessible from the ground. Kita-Ayase (北綾瀬) station on the 'Tokyo Metro' Chiyoda subway line is about half a kilometer to the east along the large road that crosses under the highway between the entrances.

Shuto S1/C2
Connecting to: Tōhoku, Jōban

Shuto S1 becomes C2 and merges briefly with 6 before splitting off again and heading off to Tokyo Bay. Confused? You will be.

Kawaguchi PA (川口）
Last verified: Never

Tokyo Gaikan Expressway (東京外環自動車道)
Connecting to: Kan'etsu, Tōhoku, Jōban

Niikura PA (新倉）
Access: Both directions Last verified: Never

Small. Close to Wakō-shi. Often omitted even from highway maps since it doesn't belong to either the kousokudouro or the shuto systems!

Atlases

 * Road Atlas Japan (ISBN 4398201041) — a hitchhiker's invaluable companion, listing pretty much every major road in the country in both English and Japanese. Difficult to find overseas but available in any larger Japanese bookstore (including Amazon.co.jp); look for the lurid orange cover. Available in the U.S. from Kinokuniya in San Francisco (https://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/wshoseaohb.cgi).

Books
Will Ferguson has written two informative and entertaining books about hitchhiking in Japan.

 * Hitchhiker's Guide to Japan (ISBN 0804820686) — practical guide to hitchhiking with a number of tested itineraries, although the nuts and bolts information is increasingly out of date (published 1998)
 * Hokkaido Highway Blues (ISBN 1569472343) — the story of an epic hitchhiking trip across the entire country, less practical but a better Bill Bryson-style read

title: Hitchhiking in Japan