Hitchhiking in Japan
Hitchhiking to Japan
Recent reviews in Japan
33.32996, 130.31099
Not many cars passing through the area from 6:00-9:00am, though many people approached me for fukuoka, so may be a good place to stop if you’re heading to fukuoka. I went to kagoshima-chuo after being dropped off at minamata station; nice driver bought me the ticket!rating: 4/5, wait: 180 min 🪧, ride: 157 km ↓
―Du, Thu 10 Jul 2025, 09:10
33.26366, 131.36531
I was walking with a sign saying Yufu with Japanese characters heading to Road 11. A Japanese man walking his dog stopped me and explained that my sign said the name of the city I was already in. Woops! He asked me where I was going and after I explained it to him, he offered to give me ride there as it was on his way home. Before the ride he gave me a meal as his cafe with his family and brought me to an onsen. Fantastic experience!rating: 5/5, wait: 0 min 🪧, ride: 15 km ↘
―Joe, Thu 03 Jul 2025, 17:15
32.90229, 130.99055
Good spot to get a ride to Mt Aso crater after taking the bus.Only thumb, no sign.
rating: 5/5, wait: 15 min, ride: 7 km →
―Anonymous, May 2025
32.68914, 130.99106
I didn't have to wait, someone saw me walking with my sign and asked me where I wanted to go.From Nobeoka my goal was Fukuoka but I went step by step and I just told him Kurume.
He took me, and told me he took many hichhikers on that road.
I don't exactly where you wanna stand on that place, but it's a big roadway station so you should be fine. Just don't be afraid to go step by step.
rating: 5/5, wait: 0 min, ride: 117 km ↖
―Danijar, Sun 25 May 2025, 14:00
32.70826, 131.30165
All the cars that goes to the roadway station will pass next to you, and when they'll go back to the road they will pass next to you again.I don't like to stand on the roadway station itself but it might be better, anyway you can decide when you're there, it's really easy to move here :)
I wrote "Hajimemashite :) Kumamoto direction" in Japanese in my sign.
Always have my arm straight and my thumb up.
rating: 5/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 36 km ←
―Danijar, Sun 25 May 2025, 11:30
32.58192, 131.65586
First of all it's hard to find good spots from Nobeoka in the direction on Kumamoto in my opinion.There is just a right amount of cars passing here(1 every 10 or 20 seconds) and at least half of them go to the IC, that's why I stood here.
They don't go too fast so they have time to see you and there is a good space just behind you so that even a small truck can park (it was a small truck that took me).
I wrote "Hajimemashite Takachiho" in Japanese on my sign.
rating: 3/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 45 km ↖
―Danijar, Sun 25 May 2025, 08:00
35.36669, 136.48492
Since this is a road that goes around town, I thought it would be good to hitchhike but there was no place where cars would hear. After you pass under the train tracks, there are more stopping places for cars on the road and there is also a FamilyMart.rating: 4/5, wait: 10 min 🪧, ride: 56 km ↘
―Tafoylagez, Sun 18 May 2025, 13:13
35.40856, 136.33147
Although there was little space for vehicles to stop, the wait was not too long.rating: 5/5, wait: 45 min 💬+🪧, ride: 18 km →
―Tafoylagez, Sun 18 May 2025, 11:24
35.63148, 136.07148
Although there was little space for vehicles to stop, the wait was not too long.rating: 4/5, wait: 15 min 🪧, ride: 43 km ↘
―Tafoylagez, Sat 17 May 2025, 12:20
36.1173, 136.25778
It's a free highway with traffic lights, there's a Lawson convenience store nearby, you can use the toilets and wifi.rating: 3/5, wait: 45 min 🪧, ride: 77 km ↗
―Tafoylagez, Wed 14 May 2025, 15:30
35.68727, 136.08609
free highway!Not many cars pass by. There is Lawson which is open until 22:00 in this small town. It is a bit of a bad place to hitchhike not many people stop.
After trying to hitchhike for 2 hours, a Korean woman took me to Fukui city
rating: 2/5, wait: 85 min 🪧, ride: 63 km ↑
―Tafoylagez, Wed 14 May 2025, 13:18
35.32895, 136.02922
I waited for 30 minutes at the traffic lights at the gas station. A Japanese guesthouse owner picked me up in his car and put me up for a night at his house. Hitchhiking was easy here.rating: 5/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 44 km ↑
―Tafoylagez, Tue 13 May 2025, 14:30
35.16724, 135.86096
Many people pass through this road as it connects to the free highway in the future. I had a very comfortable journey to Shirahige Torirating: 5/5, wait: 10 min 💬+🪧, ride: 23 km ↗
―Tafoylagez, Mon 12 May 2025, 16:56
35.06801, 135.80909
Write your destination on a piece of paper and there will definitely be a stop. You don't have to wait long as it is a famous road. Don't forget to buy supplies from 7-Eleven.rating: 5/5, wait: 10 min 💬+🪧, ride: 15 km ↗
―Tafoylagez, Mon 12 May 2025, 16:30
40.50179, 141.45463
Good spot, covered by an overpass and next to a grocery store.rating: 5/5, wait: 25 min 🪧, ride: 155 km ↓
―Anonymous, Sun 04 May 2025, 11:01
34.17944, 133.82724
The first car stopped. Guy wasn't even going to Imabari but decided to take us.rating: 5/5, wait: 1 min 👍, ride: 97 km ←
―Anonymous, May 2025
34.16169, 134.49434
There is a toilet, lots of space. A truck driver took us even thou we were a couple, he suggested me to hide behind curtain in his cabin, my partner was sitting in the front.rating: 4/5, wait: 45 min 🪧, ride: 68 km ←
―Anonymous, May 2025
40.7963, 140.74742
There’s a sidewalk by the on ramp for the toll booths. Cars stopping at the light and turning left have plenty of time to read your sign. I think it’s the quickest way out of Aomori.rating: 4/5, wait: 45 min 🪧, ride: 85 km ↘
―ChungSook, Sat 03 May 2025, 14:20
35.53549, 139.53339
Walked form the nearest station in theory it's not a bad place to hitch out from headed west, I flew a sign until a bus driver with an empty bus smoki g a cigarette asked me if hamamatsu would be good enough , and I ended up there where granted I couldnt get a ride before sundown , but still it resulted in a nice week of beach bumming before I went back to tokyo. There is a cart with cardboard behind the convenience store you can use to make a sign. For best results stand on the manhole cover towards the exit lanes closest to the station as people with animals or smokers will often Inquire upon your situation as was my case.rating: 3/5, wait: 120 min 🪧, ride: 225 km ↙
―Stretch, Sat 05 Apr 2025, 11:50
40.50179, 141.45463
Good spot for heading towards Sendai. There's a traffic light, the cars go fairly slowly because they have to turn and there should be plenty of space to stop. Also easily accessible I thinkrating: 5/5, wait: 40 min, ride: 317 km ↓
―Anonymous, April 2025
Recent reviews mentioning Japan
35.53549, 139.53339
The spot was very good. It can be accessed very easily through a passage behind the convenience store and you won't be walking where cars drive.The station has everything, toilets, wifi, electrical plugs for charging your devices, Food etc.
I got picked up after one hour waiting time on a Monday. I started at 10am and got a lift at 11am.
It took me a total of 4 rides to get to Nagoya station and the drivers were always very respectful and curious why I'm hitchhiking in japan.
Tomorrow I'll continue hitchhiking to Osaka and after that to kumamoto, just to see how far I can go.
On this trip I never had any worries about unsafe road conditions, people being rude, not having food or a toilet. Everything was available all the time and it was a very good experience.
rating: 4/5, wait: 60 min, ride: 303 km ←
―Hans, March 2024
32.79157, 129.87187
I waited for 40min at 9h in the morning on a Sunday. Then got ride to Fukuoka (I was heading Osaka).I asked the driver to stop in a car park on the highway. Although is prohibitted is the best place to get a ride. I rode to Osaka from Nagasaki with 4 different cars, wating an average of 20 min from car to car. Hitchhiking in Japan is great!!
―Anonymous, January 2013
35.53549, 139.53339
Khoku PA () on Tmei Expressway (), otw to Fuji/Gotemba, Hakone, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, western Japan.Reachable from Tkaichiba () station on the JR Yokohama line.
full description: http://hitchwiki.org/en/Tokyo#T.C5.8Dmei_Expressway_.28.E6.9D.B1.E5.90.8D.29
―Anonymous, July 2012