Driving in Japan

We recently drove from our home in Utazu to Obaachan's home in the outskirts of Tokyo.  Door to door the drive took 12 hours.  For you Seattlites - we could have made it to Sacramento or Billings in that time.  When we told Japanese people that we were driving there as opposed to taking public transportation we were laughed at, told we were crazy, or they just didn't believe us.  People here, at least on the island we live on, ride their bikes and take the trains a lot.  There really isn't a bus system here to speak of.  Many people have cars and they do drive them, but not usually off the island.  All the roads that lead off the island are toll roads and the tolls are pretty expensive.  They used to be very affordable, but were raised after the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.  The additional monies all go toward the relief and rebuilding effort.

Anyway...we chose to drive for a number of reasons - one being that we'd get to see more, anther being that if we took the train it would have cost a lot more and we wouldn't have been able to swing by Fuji and Costco on the way home.  Here are some things I learned on the drive:

Highway Driving

* I already told you this but just a reminder - we drive on the opposite side of the car from America, and the opposite side of the road I think...sad that I can't remember.

* Drivers here aren't always so courteous (on the highway anyway).  A blinker does nothing.  You want in?  Push your way through.

* I often feel like I am surrounded by people with no depth perception - as I have mini panic attacks every time I look in the rear view mirror and see the person behind speeding to a stop with no room to spare

* The rest stops here are pretty great.  Each one has the basic restroom facility, but they also offer food and drinks at all of them.  Some have real restaurants, some have fast food, but at a minimum there is at least a conbini (convenience store).  Every other stop has a full service gas station.  One that we stopped at had a Starbucks!  On the left is a picture of a sink at the rest stop.  The water just ran down the slope and disappeared.  I loved it!  Of course, I would hate to drop a ring or something down there...


* Four way flashers or hazard lights are used here a lot - if you are coming up to a slowdown the driver in the front will put on his hazards to warn the driver behind him that he is slowing or stopping.  Each driver does this down the chain.  I like it.  Also, they are used as a thank you...once in a while...

* Don't drive with your headlights on, unless you want to get flashed by every other car.  That being said, headlights must be turned on in tunnels.  Not a problem, except there were only a million tunnels.  Japan is very mountainous and instead of building roads over the mountains, they just built these crazy long tunnels through them.  One of the tunnels we went through was 8 KM long.

I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the concrete that is poured or placed on the mountain to prevent landslides and falling rocks is curved and molded to the natural shape of the mountain below it.  It's pretty cool looking.

Surface Street Driving

* So you want to run into the post office and there is no parking?  Just go ahead and stop your car in the driving lane.  It's alright, the rest of us don't mind...really.  This happens every where, everyday.

*  It's hot here right now so people leave their cars running with the AC going while they pop into the store.  No one is in the car...it is just sitting there, running.  And it doesn't get stolen!

* To contradict what I just said - sometimes there is someone in the care - usually it is a child.  They are just left alone in running cars all the time here.

* Remember how I told you everyone backs into their parking spots?  They also fold in their mirrors when they park, to make more room for others.  I like it.

* Drinking and driving is not tolerated at all, however, the passengers can drink all they want, in the car while it is moving.  It's a little funny to me, but, you can get a ticket for drunken bike riding too!

* People are supposed to wear seat belts here, but I could honestly not tell you how many times I have seen kids running around in cars and vans while there are moving.  I've seen drivers with babies on their laps, kids standing in the backseat and leaning over the front seat, and babes just relaxing in the front seat while mom or Dad drives...and remember there are TVs in some cars for the drivers....crazy!  Now, the good news is that the speed limit is pretty low and people here tend to follow that.  Being a former car seat safety teacher it's a little tough to see.

Hank Yu for reading!