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It's convenient to get maps of SA and PA in Japan because these are major hitchhiking locations on the highways. You can find them on the web for each region (maybe you will have to google in Japanese: サービスエリア地図) or get them for free at many SA/PAs.

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!

=== Tōmei Expressway (東名) ===

'''For''': [[Fuji]]/[[Gotemba]], [[Hakone]], [[Nagoya]], [[Kansai|western Japan]]<br />

'''Where''': Kōhoku PA (港北) [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kohoku+PA+(down)/@35.5389744,139.5291629,17z/ google]<br />

=== Chūō Expressway (中央) ===

'''For''': [[Fujiyoshida]], [[Lake Kawaguchi]], [[Nagano]], [[Gifu]], [[Nagoya]] & [[Kansai|western Japan]] (slow route)<br />

'''Where''': Ishikawa SA (石川)<br />

=== Kan'etsu Expressway (関越) ===

'''For''': [[Niigata]], [[Sado Island]], [[Chubu|Japan Sea coast]]<br />

'''Where''': Miyoshi PA (三芳)<br />

'''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<br />

'''Cost from Yamanote line''': ~500 yen<br />

Directions: Take the Tōbu Tōjō (東武東上) line from [[Tokyo/Ikebukuro|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, [[Tohoku|northern Japan]], [[Hokkaido]]<br />

'''Where''': Hasuda PA (蓮田)<br />

=== Jōban Expressway (常磐) ===

'''For''': [[Mito]], [[Iwaki]], [[Sendai]] (slow route)<br />

'''Where maybe''': Mukōjima IC (向島) up the riverside and across the bridge from Asakusa or Kahei PA (加平) from Kita-Ayase (北綾瀬) on Eidan Chiyoda subway, both on Shuto 6 connecting to Jōban<br />

=== 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 yen.　If you insist, you could try to catch the Expressway Bayshore Line (高速湾岸線) from [[Tokyo/Odaiba|Odaiba]] or Shin-Kiba, which transforms into the Higashi-Kantō.

== Hitchiking In ==