Five Surprises about Driving in Japan
Kiyotsu Tunnel parking lot, Niigata.
When I was first told I would have to buy a car and drive for my work placement in Japan, I was resistant. My previous experience of three months in Japan had taught me that trains and buses were plentiful and convenient. I would not need a car, right? Not where I was going. The closest train station to me is a 25-minute drive. Walking would be ridiculous. The buses run once an hour and usually stop running by six in the evening. The many hills, narrow roads, and ice and snow in winter make bicycling out of the question. Welcome to the countryside in northern Japan. If I ever wanted to leave my town, I would need a car. So I bought one from my predecessor, started driving, and now I cannot go back.
Before starting my car and learning to drive here, I knew about driving on the left side of the road and that the road signs looked different, such as triangular stop signs. I also knew Japan had notoriously narrow roads. However, I have discovered some other unexpected things in the past couple years. Here are the five surprises about driving in Japan:
1. I sometimes mix up the windshield wipers and turn signal knobs.
Just like the steering wheel is on the opposite side, the wipers and signals are switched. Especially when I first started driving here, I would flip the switch to signal for a turn, only to discover the wipers coming up instead. I am proud to announce I have only messed up once this past summer. Don’t let me drive in the USA or any right-side-of-the-road cars now.
2. The Frogger video game was created from real life.
When I was a kid, I played the video game Frogger. Basically, your character is a frog and it is trying to cross a busy street to get to the other side without being squished. Simple and entertaining, right? Now try playing the real life version. Luckily for you, the role is swapped and you are the driver of the car. Not so lucky for the frogs. Starting in late May in Aomori, the rice fields are planted and filled with water. At night, you can hear the frogs singing in a loud chorus. Ah, the idyllic countryside. Then, on rainy days, you start driving, turn on the wipers (careful that it is not the turn signal), and head down the roads past watery rice fields. Then you start to notice that there is more than droplets of water bouncing off the road. It is alive with little frogs! I sometimes wish my eyesight wasn’t so perceptive to the small details of the road while I drive.
3. Backing up is the Norm.
I never got much practice backing up a car in the States unless I was pulling out of parking space. I had one roommate in college who preferred to back up her car, and I always thought it was strange. Now it just makes sense to me because I’ve been doing it since I came to Japan. It makes it easy to quickly leave my parking spot. The only place I rarely see Japanese people backing up their car into a parking space is convenience stores. It’s the exception. People usually pull in forward and back up to leave.
4. Roadside stations are amazing.
No, I’m not talking about gas stations. These are roadside stops called 道の駅 (michi no eki) where the restroom is open 24 hours and you can often buy local crafts, produce, and other food during the store’s open hours. I frequently visit some nearby road stations to buy my fruits and vegetables because the local price is much cheaper than grocery store produce. I have yet to try it, but you can also sleep the night in your car at many of the larger road stations and not be bothered. I often see large trucks camped out when I pass late at night on the way home from my friend’s house.
5. Turn off the distractions because driving in Japan is beautiful.
I recently took a ten-day road trip from Aomori down to Niigata and back up. I packed music to listen to, but ended up not even listening to it. There are so many other things to notice while driving, that music was just a distraction to me. The roads I took led me up and down hills, through valleys and over mountains, and along the coast. Limit the distractions and open up your senses to the drive. Also, if you can spare the time, don’t take the expressway. It gets expensive and you will miss out on the beauty of the drive.
Traveling Japan is amazing. I have now taken just about every form of transportation from bullet trains to ferries, taxis and buses, rope-ways and cable cars, airplanes and my own car. There are many possibilities to help you explore the world. Just take a step out your door and be open to meet with the unexpected adventures this world offers.