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As a guest, you will not be expected (or allowed) to pay any expenses. Be thankful for this, as Japan's expressway tolls are ''extremely'' high: for example, the trip from [[Tokyo]] to [[Osaka]] costs around ¥8000 in tolls alone.
* Comment: I'm a lone girl hitch hiker. The longest I've waited to get picked up was 4 hours, shortest 5 minutes, and average/median feels like 30 to 45 minutes. If the others who wrote on this page, and the other first few results on google claim that they average at 15-20minutes, I'm not sure if lone girls should still top the list. I suspect that single, foreign-looking men may take the spot instead? Agree on quantity though - have had a few drivers tell me they've always wanted to let someone hitch a ride, but couldn't fit them because 2 was too many.
*I have taken only about 30+ different rides in total so far, most of them were really nice! Polite, friendly, showered me lots of care and concern. Two mediocre experienes: a guy that tried to emotionally possess me while I was around, and two guys who tricked me into signing up for some cult religion.
* Despite that, I still continue to hitch hike! I have taken rides with male drivers that had no other companions, and they were very respectful, polite, and didn't try to make me feel uncomfortable. Being friendly and sticking to 'safe' topics (Japanese culture, language-related talk, food and weather, places, questions about how Japanese feel about politics/culture) are a good way to be cautious but still offer good conversation. Additionally, don't always give your full real name, and if they offer to drive you all the way to your destination, pick some where a little far off. When I hitch my way home I tell them the name of a station 2 stops from my real place. If they ask for contact information, I usually give them an e-mail address I have that is unassociated with my other social media. I've yet to try this but a friend recommends wearing a ring on your ring finger to look "unavailable". The only time I'm super lax and off-guard are when I get picked up by families, with their kids in tow. [[user:snowballsakura|snowballsakura]]
== Personal Experiences ==