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Hitchhikernick - On the whole hitching is ok in Japan for a 40 year old white male. Some challenges between Osaka and Akita going up the west coast in December 2023, did only give myself just over 4 .5 days to get to Niseko, so if i had more time and patience it would have been more enjoyable and less waiting time as would not have bothered trying to hitch in the dark. My most frequent pickups were in the morning and between 7-9pm, struggling after lunchtime until after between lunch and dinner time. Waited at expressway service station near Osaka and within an hour police arrived and escorted me to another road away from the expressway informing me it was illegal.
Once I got past Akita it was much easier and even had a guy offering me a lift to Aomorifrom 10k north of Akita. He also wanted to pay for my ferry ticket and train ticket to Sapporo, but didn't want to take advantage so only took up ride offer. 10 minute wait 20km north of Hakodate next morning and got a lift direct to Sapporo 😁
Definitely more difficult than 2016 when I was there for 2 months (oct-dec), maybe because of COVID, lots of people wearing facemasks and drivers may be more paranoid/fearful. Waited at a service station (second one on this trip) for 5 hours with sign and couldn't get picked up for first hour, then no sign, until finally a young lady picked me up and drove 5 miles to the town she was going to, got . Got train after that to make up some ground, pleased police didn't come to escort me again. Cleaner of service station spoke broken English and asked me if I was hitchhiking. I was clean and kempt.
In 2016 I managed to hitch out of Tokyo with ease, 10 minute wait on hard shoulder to expressway on-ramp. Could of just been right time at right place.
Average waiting time 2023, for me, 3 hours.
*UPDATE*
Wow don't things change!!! Managed to hitch from Niseko down to Joetsu in 2 and a half days, retracing my steps. Meals bought for me, received money three times and an onsen experience😁. Didn't wait longer than an hour and average waiting time was 20 mins, that included hitching in dark and moderate snow with ski equipment. Finally a truck stopped for me, but wasn't going my direction. From Joetsu I hitched to Osaka on the same day (9 hours and 4 lifts) and offered lift direct to airport. Waited at service stations on expressway for 15mins average, no police showed up...relief. No public transport was used on return leg to Osaka from Niseko, except for ferry. No signs were used after Niseko, for whole trip signs were not used 95% of time, just the thumb. I only know three words in Japanese and hitched all over country twice with no problems. I used convenience stores, expressway service stations, expressway on-ramp/entrances, petrol stations and bus stops to hitch as well as shoulder lanes (not many) and never asked for a lift, just left it to the good ol' thumb😁
I used manga cafe when in towns as they are cheap and do good night rates (1800 Yen for 8 hours in a cubicle where you can lie down, use internet, free shower and free soft drinks). Brought back memories of 2016 trip 😁. Camped out in some towns behind buildings in quiet areas, even when snowing, with no problems.
After Niseko, I was dishevelled, smelled funky due to shoes and had more gear, yet I had much more luck hitching even though theoretically it should have been the other way around...go figure!!!
== How to get in and out of cities ==
