Driving in Hokkaido

 Driving in Hokkaido

Long drive today, so it is possibly a good time to comment on driving in Hokkaido. After four days on the road, the overall verdict is that it is easy and safe. There are some caveats however. First up, we drive on the left and our country uses standard international traffic signage and metric measurements. As well, we are experienced drivers, having frequently driven overseas. Oh yes, and we are patient drivers.

These comments, it must be said, are based on our personal experience in Hokkaido, which is far less populated than most other parts of Japan. So should you consider driving in Japan? Absolutely, if you meet the conditions described above. Otherwise, it is up to you, but if you are an impatient driver who has a needs for speed, then probably no.

Speed limits are very low, by any standards. In some parts of cities, 30kph is the limit. In all built-up areas it is 40kph. On many single lane roads it is 50kph. Even on Expressways, 70kph-80kph is the limit. Having said that, there is an unwritten rule that, assuming safe conditions, police are tolerant of speeds 10-20kph above these limits.  

Direction signs are in English and Japanese, but many other signs are in Japanese only. Generally, these are obvious. The big issue for foreigners is the Japanese stop sign which is shaped like a give way sign in most countries. Not only that, it is sometimes placed at the same height as traffic lights. In general, these are no problem, though the Japanese have a confusing way of regulating left and right turns at intersections. Put simply, if where you want to go has a green arrow you can go. So at an intersection where the light is red and you want to go straight ahead, you can, if the green arrow points ahead. This takes a bit of getting used to, but these lights are not all that common.

Roads are universally paved, at least in our experience in Hokkaido. The surface quality is variable with many areas of unevenly patched surfaces, even on Expressways. Drivers from some countries will probably be disappointed with the standards of Japanese expressways. Firstly, they are tolled and highly tolled at that. In Hokkaido, they are not multi-lane. In fact, they are single lane, with dual lane passing lanes from time to time. We would rate them as poor value for money in comparison to most others we have experienced, but we are only talking about Hokkaido.

We hired the smallest vehicle we could. As we travel with carry-on luggage only, the storage capacity wasn't an issue for us. The small vehicle means less fuel and more comfort driving on narrow roads. 

We paid about AUD100 a day for the car hire, plus another AUD80 for an Expressway pass that gave us unlimited E xpressway use. All hire vehicles have an English GPS. We found Google maps good enough and easy to use because we are familiar with, but the on-board GPS had some advantages. Some locations could not be found through Google Maps but they showed up on the car's system. A great advantage of the local GPS was that if you have the phone number of your destination it can be input to pinpoint the exact location.

Lastly, buying fuel. There are two types of petrol stations in Japan, self-service and full-service. Both are fairly much what the title suggests. Self-service is cheaper, but there is the hassle of working out the payment system. We used self-serve with some minor difficulty only, because as soon as a driver looks like they are having a problem, someone will appear to assist. Using the full service option is easy and yet another fun exposure to Japanese culture. No language skills are required. Drivers don't have to leave the car, you decide cash or card, provide payment and your tank is filled. Your receipt is provided and you are waved off with a deep bow. 

In summary, we have driven on every continent, in many varied conditions and driving in Hokkaido has been by far the easiest and the most enjoyable.