Originally Posted by Guy Jinbaiquerre

I have been living in Japan for 10 years now and riding for 8, and no offense but your take on Japan touring is at best highly misleading.

First of all, Wakkanai (at the northern tip of Hokkaido) to central Tokyo is about 1,350km by road. I personally have ridden from Wakkanai to Tokyo in 22 hours, including two hours hanging around the Hakodate port waiting for the ferry to depart, and another 4 hours on the ferry itself. Unless you are deliberately exploring every side road along the way and stopping frequently, the idea that it takes a over a week to get from Tokyo to any point on Hokkaido is simply incorrect.

Moving on to costs, especially with the strong yen (now at 80 to the dollar, not 70) it is certainly possible to pay 6-10 dollars or more for a big bowl of ramen noodle soup. (And it will be delicious!) But if you look for things like sandwiches, onigiri rice balls, or meat buns at convenience stores, or eat at cheap cafeteria-style restaurants at service areas, you can get a quick meal for only a couple of bucks. Better yet, if you're really pressed for cost savings on a long tour, stock up on non-perishable food at a supermarket and carry it with you. To save money on lodging, the obvious answer is to camp, either at campsites or for free in places you find on your own. (Choose wisely, be discreet, and no one will hassle you.) Campsites are also a good place to cook your own food from the supermarket.

As to weather, yes, it does rain sometimes in Japan, just like in most other places! A good idea is to avoid the rainy season from late June to mid-July, and the typhoon season from late August to mid-September. But even during those times, you can get days and days of great, sunny weather.

Finally, there are many different varieties of Japanese driver. On the expressways, you will regularly find people exceeding the speed limit by 20-40km per hour. Not Autobahn crazy, but certainly not little-old-lady timid, either. And lane splitting is 100% legal in Japan. So if there's a slowpoke in front of you on the expressway, just split your way past him! And on narrow mountain roads here, bikers regularly pass cars and trucks (after checking to make sure the oncoming lane is clear, of course). 9 times out of 10, the cager will actually ease over to the side to let you past! It's considered polite to give such drivers a friendly "thank you" wave as you pass them.

Maybe you somehow managed to have a bad time touring in Japan. I'm sorry to hear that, since I firmly believe Japan is one of the best countries in the world for motorcycle touring. I'd be happy to offer you or anyone else advice if you're considering a Japan trip. Or you could check out a local riders' forum at http://www.gaijinriders.com