Japan cheapest way to travel? Is carpool/ride share common in Japan?

Carpooling is recently raising in Japan

The biggest carpooling app is currently Notteco. It is only in japanese but you can find for instance Tokyo-Osaka rides for less than 5,000 yens which is almost 3x cheaper than the train.

I’m currently working on a carpool app specialized for foreigners in Japan. Please check out if you’re interested or if you have any suggestions ! 🙂

I live in Tokyo and have been working as a marketing supervisor at B mobile for the past 2 years. Because of my job, I regularly visit Nagoya and Osaka by car.
I have been reading answers about hitchhiking in Japan, so I decided to post an answer here.

Normally, I make the drive at least two times a month and I have never come across any hitchhikers. I have never seen anybody asking for a ride while I drive.

Also, it is not a custom in Japan where people ask for free ride. Although the Japanese people are really friendly, they still might find it strange to see somebody waving their hand in the middle of the road asking for free rides.

So, I think hitchhiking is not feasible in Japan, and it is best for you is go for JR pass or bus tickets

Buy the JR Rail PASS

Honestly, you want to go a lot of places in weeks, ~$450 USD (¥46,390) is what a JR Rail pass costs for 14 days. It will cost you at least $40 (¥4000 on sale) round-trip just to get to Tokyo and back from Narita Airport, so that drops your cost down to $400.

You want to go to Tokyo, Nagano, Toyama, Takayama, Nagoya, Osaka, Hakone back to Tokyo in TWO weeks? You’re going to be on the move for 2 weeks, not staying in one place for more than a couple of days and that makes you a perfect candidate for a 14-day pass.

It’s also good for any JR local rail transit, which will help in Tokyo as well if you want to visit Yokohama etc.

Remember, you’re travelling at LEAST 6 segments. I doubt you’ll have time to hitchhike to all those places and if you do, you’ll have to be more flexible with your accommodations which may end up costing you more. Sure, cheap buses are available, but given the number of destinations you have planned, the train is a much saner option.

In short, taking the train may SEEM expensive, but I am willing to bet that trying to visit that many places in that short period of time… The JR Rail pass will end up being the best for your needs.

Are Japanese trains REALLY that expensive?

Japanese trains seem expensive because they don’t run them like an airline or like European train systems, which charge an arm and a leg for last-minute travel, have complicated ticket classes each with their own rules and offer deep discounts to attract people to book far in advance.

For the most part, Japanese trains are run like a commuter rail system. The price doesn’t fluctuate that much, is set at a consistent price, and is extremely flexible, which is why the JR rail pass is perfect for your needs. If you like a place and want to skip the next place, you can feel free to do so without worrying about getting your money back for a bus trip.

Besides, how can you go to Japan and NOT experience what is arguably one of the key defining aspects of modern Japanese culture, the bullet train?

Trains certainly are expensive if you buy them on a per-journey basis, but did you evaluate the cost of a JR Rail Pass? If you’re travelling a lot it’s superb value for money.

Bear in mind that you must purchase the JR pass before travelling to Japan; it’s too late to get it after leaving your home country.

One of the very cheapest ways to travel is the Willer Express Japan Bus Pass, which costs as little as ¥2100 per travel day for unlimited travel.

Japan buses would be really cheap, especially if you travel at night

1) Ridesharing / Carpooling is not common in Japan yet but a small community called “Noritomosan” is working on it (available in english). The platform allows to find travel friends in Japan, connecting drivers with empty seats to people travelling the same way. If you are a solo travel, you can make plans and look for buddies to come with you (by train, bus are also available) and share the cost of your trip. You can have a look here -> www.noritomosan.com

By the way they also have a forum, so maybe it worth asking them directly since they are specialized in “cheapest” way to travel lol.

2) As said before, the cheapest way is to hitchhike. So the cheapest way is to travel by car ;). Rent a Bike ? You mean a bicycle ?

The cheapest way to travel in Japan is to hitchhike. Getting out of major cities is difficult, but once you’re on the road, it’s generally amazingly easy to get rides. Some knowledge of Japanese helps, but is not mandatory.

Further reading: http://hitchwiki.org/en/Japan

Ride sharing is not common, because driving is not the budget option in Japan if you’re paying for it: road tolls are extremely high. If you hitchhike, most of your rides will be people traveling for work.

Most people find the JR Pass to be the most affordable and comfortable way to visit multiple cities.

If you’re super cheap, then overnight discount intercity buses will save you both transportation and lodging. Google “Tokyo Osaka night bus” or some variation to find examples.

Hitchhiking is illegal in Japan. Intercity ride sharing is not common as highway tolls are very very high so it’s usually cheaper to take the train or bus. You could still check in with your gaijin house, hostel, or online bulletin board.

Many people have toured Japan by bicycle so that’s also an option.