Surrounded by trees and mountains in Hyogo
Surrounded by trees and mountains in Hyogo
Overview
In this episode of Only in Japan Go, John Daub finds himself hitchhiking through the mountainous countryside of Hyogo Prefecture. Stationed at Michi no Eki Yabu (roadside station), he attempts to secure a ride to Fukuchiyama and eventually Maezuru on the Sea of Japan. The video captures the serene beauty of rural Japan, contrasting sharply with the hustle of Tokyo, while documenting the realities and challenges of long-distance hitchhiking.
John shares insights into the origins of Kobe beef, explaining the connection to Tajima-gyu cattle raised in this very region. He engages with his live audience, discussing hitchhiking strategies, signage tactics, and the psychology of getting drivers to stop. Despite slow progress, John remains optimistic, appreciating the clean air, stunning scenery, and small interactions with passing locals.
This video offers a candid look at life on the road in Japan, highlighting the patience required for hitchhiking and the rewards of experiencing the country's less-visited prefectures. It serves as both a travel diary and a practical guide for those interested in alternative transport methods in Japan.
Highlights
- 00:05 John introduces his location in Hyogo Prefecture and hitchhiking goal.
- 00:50 Explanation of Tajima-gyu and its relation to Kobe beef.
- 01:41 Appreciation for the beautiful mountainous countryside.
- 02:11 Arrival at Michi no Eki Yabu roadside station.
- 02:52 Observing driver reactions while holding a hitchhiking sign.
- 03:36 Interaction with two old ladies who waved and giggled.
- 04:27 Update on trip progress: beyond the two-week mark.
- 04:53 Hitchhiking philosophy: adapting when people aren't stopping.
- 05:22 Comment on the sweet air quality compared to Tokyo.
- 06:20 Mention of inexpensive hotel stay in the mountains.
- 07:21 Strategy for changing signs when trucks pass by.
- 08:36 Hitchhiking is a science: reading traffic patterns.
- 09:23 Explanation of truck routes to Hokkaido via Maezuru ferry.
- 11:07 Announcement of Instagram and Patreon live streams.
- 11:49 Closing: 38% of the way to Hokkaido.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Intro: Location check-in from Hyogo Prefecture.
- 00:50 Kobe Beef Origins: Discussing Tajima-gyu cattle.
- 02:11 Roadside Station: Arriving at Michi no Eki Yabu.
- 03:30 Driver Interactions: Smiles and waves from locals.
- 04:50 Strategy Shift: Adjusting location and signage.
- 06:20 Accommodation: Staying at a local mountain hotel.
- 08:36 Hitchhiking Science: Reading traffic patterns.
- 09:23 Truck Routes: Ferry connections to Hokkaido.
- 11:00 Community Update: Social media live stream plans.
- 11:49 Outro: Trip progress report.
Japan Travel Tips
- Hitchhiking Strategy: Treat it like a science. If no one stops for 2–3 hours, change your location or sign.
- Signage: Flip your sign based on vehicle type. John uses "Fukuchiyama" for cars and "Maezuru" for trucks (since trucks head to the ferry).
- Roadside Stations (Michi no Eki): Great places to rest, find information, and attempt hitchhiking due to parking areas.
- Rural Accommodation: Inexpensive hotels can be found even in mountainous areas; booking ahead or checking locally is advised.
- Air Quality: Rural prefectures like Hyogo's northern region offer significantly cleaner air than Tokyo.
- Traffic Patterns: Understand where trucks are going (e.g., to ferries) to increase chances of a long-distance ride.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Michi no Eki (道の駅): Government-designated roadside stations that serve as rest stops, information centers, and local product markets.
- Tajima-gyu (但馬牛): The breed of cattle raised in the Tajima region of Hyogo. Only the highest quality selected from this breed becomes certified Kobe beef.
- Hospitality: Even when not stopping, drivers often smile or wave, reflecting a culture of politeness even in brief encounters.
- Regional Pride: Locals in areas like Yabu may find a foreigner hitchhiking to be a notable event ("the festival's plan"), highlighting the rarity of tourists in deep rural areas.
Food & Drink Guide
- Kobe Beef: World-famous beef originating from Hyogo Prefecture.
- Tajima-gyu (Tajima beef): 00:50 The specific breed of Wagyu cattle raised in the Tajima region. John notes that while he showed them as food previously, he views them as kind animals in person.
- Wagyu: General term for Japanese beef cattle. John emphasizes showing how beautiful and kind the animals are rather than just as food.
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He is solo hitchhiking across Japan, documenting the challenges and beauty of the journey.
- Mr. Ishii: 00:50 Mentioned as a person who picked John up yesterday; lives in Tajima city.
- Local Drivers: Unnamed passersby who smile, wave, or gigling at John's hitchhiking attempt.
- Two Old Ladies: 03:36 Specific drivers who giggled and waved, making John's day.
Key Takeaways
- Hitchhiking requires adaptability; if a strategy isn't working, change location or signage.
- Rural Japan offers stunning scenery and clean air but can be slow for transport.
- Kobe beef originates from Tajima-gyu cattle raised in this specific region of Hyogo.
- Community support (online viewers) makes the solitary challenge of hitchhiking feel shared.
- Trucks often have longer destinations (e.g., to ferries) than local cars, making them valuable rides.
Notable Quotes
- 01:41 "This is a huge change from living in Tokyo. And hitchhiking has brought me out here."
- 03:36 "This might be the event of the day for this town... A foreigner hitchhiking on the road."
- 04:53 "When people aren't stopping, it's probably your fault. You're not in the right spot."
- 05:22 "Compared to Tokyo, the air is sweet. It tastes almost sweet."
- 08:36 "Hitchhiking is a science. Okay? You can't just put the destination you want to go to and expect people to stop."
- 11:49 "I'm 38% of the way to Hokkaido. And it gets a lot easier from here on out."
Related Topics
- Hitchhiking in Japan
- Kobe Beef Production
- Rural Hyogo Prefecture Travel
- Michi no Eki Roadside Stations
- Long-distance Journey across Japan
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #hyogo #hitchhiking #yabu #kobe-beef #tajima-gyu #michi-no-eki #rural-japan #road-trip #fukuchiyama #maezuru #spring-travel #japan-travel #wagyu
Full Transcript
00:05 John Daub: Hello everybody! I'm back here on the road again. I'm in Hyogo Prefecture, which is famous for being where Kobe is. And I'm now hitchhiking, or trying to hitchhike, back to the Sea of Japan to a place called Fukuchiyama. Fukuchiyama! Woohoo! I've been out here all morning. So I thought I'd check in with everybody on YouTube Live. See if anyone stops with you guys.
00:50 John Daub: Beautiful countryside. And yesterday I got picked up by Mr. Ishii. And Mr. Ishii, he lived in a city called Tajima. And Tajima is famous for Kobe beef, or Tajima-gyu (Tajima beef). And the Tajima-gyu that are selected to be the top become Kobe beef. I got a lot of backlash from vegetarians showing that. My goal was just to show how beautiful the Wagyu are. How nice and kind they are. I didn't see them as food. But hey, what are you gonna do?
01:41 John Daub: I'm in beautiful, beautiful country right now. You can see I'm just surrounded by mountains. This is a huge change from living in Tokyo. And hitchhiking has brought me out here. Just circumstances, which has brought me out to this beautiful place. And every single moment I'm here I'm really appreciative. But I'm also not in the destination that I want to be. Sort of the reality of life on the road.
02:11 John Daub: This is a good Michi no Eki (roadside station), Michi no Eki Yabu. This is Yabu, Hyogo Prefecture. Again, for those tuning in, I'm trying to hitchhike to a place called Fukuchiyama. Because there's an interchange there where I can hitchhike back to the Sea of Japan. There's also another interchange which is more popular which is further away from Fukuchiyama. I'm gonna see what happens. First let's try to get to Fukuchiyama. And then back to the Sea of Japan.
02:52 John Daub: I'm gonna take a break for a second. I've been out here all morning. Not much luck. But the good thing is this countryside is absolutely beautiful. If you want to see the reaction of the drivers going by, it's actually quite classic. On the road here, I'm gonna hold the sign up and you can see. Here you go. Here comes a car. You can't really see their faces. There's a reflection on the window from here. But if you can't see their faces, and I can sort of make it out. The people are usually smiling.
03:36 John Daub: There was this old... two old ladies. They were just giggling and one of them waved to me. That made my day to see that I sort of made their day. Because out here, you know, if you live in Yabu City, Hyogo, out here, everyday work is pretty darn boring because nothing really happens out here. This might be the event of the day for this town. It's the festival's plan because there's an information center just over there. They told me what's happening. Nothing. This is it, people. A foreigner hitchhiking on the road trying to get a ride to Fukuchiyama and back to the Sea of Japan, to Maezuru. So on the other side of my sign it says Maezuru. And this side, Fukuchiyama. Yeah, upside down.
04:27 John Daub: I appreciate all the support you guys have given me over the last couple of weeks. This is now beyond the two week mark of my trip. Beyond halfway. But I'm not halfway there because this part of the trip has been very, very slow. I can't get rides as easily as I thought I would have. That's not a problem. It's just another challenge. And that's what I like about this trip. It's the ability to adapt to the situation. Find another way.
04:53 John Daub: When people aren't stopping, it's probably your fault. You're not in the right spot. You don't have the right location on your sign. You're not reading the situation the best way that you can read it. And that's what happened last night. I didn't read the situation well. Nobody stopped. And I've adjusted this morning and this afternoon. And I'm going to change my plan. That truck's going in the right direction. And I was here talking to you. Maybe I missed your ride. But that's how much I love you guys.
05:22 John Daub: So if you're Japanese, you're living in Yabu City, you have a holiday, come pick me up. I'm at the Michi no Eki Yabu. I could use a ride. I won't be here for much longer though. One way or another I'll make it to Fukuchiyama. So one more time with the view. Gosh, it's just stunning. Look at that. And it is very windy. It's hard to hold the sign up. But the air quality here is so good. Gosh, compared to Tokyo, the air is sweet. It tastes almost sweet.
06:20 John Daub: My hope from this spot is they'll pull into the parking area. And then I'll be able to get a ride. I was going to camp but it was too cold last night in these mountains. So just right there is a hotel that's very inexpensive. And I was able to crash there. Brand new hotel too. So I was in luck. Again, here in the mountains of Hyogo Prefecture. This is where Kobe is. This prefecture. The air and the water and just the towns are so beautiful. Everything is immaculate here. It's just a little boring. I don't know if I could live here. But I could hitchhike out of here. Well, sort of.
07:21 John Daub: I'm going to give it a try. See if somebody will stop. You know, when they stop and it's live, it just feels that much better. Because I can share this experience with you. There's an airport here that only flies from Kobe to Tajima. And to drive to Kobe is like 2 or 3 hours actually. On the local roads, it may be an hour on the highway. When the truck comes, I change my sign to Maezuru. That's a good strategy.
08:36 John Daub: I'm telling you right now. Hitchhiking is a science. Okay? You can't just put the destination you want to go to and expect people to stop. You have to figure out what they're thinking. See where the traffic patterns are taking you. And that's how you find a ride quick. When someone stops within 10, 15 minutes, it's because you were in the right location. You had the right sign. If someone doesn't stop for 2 or 3 hours, you were in the wrong location with the wrong sign. It's your job to try to figure out which sign and which road and which area is the correct one for you to get that ride. And your reward is the ride. And that's what I love about hitchhiking in Japan. Why it's better than taking the train. It's a challenge. It's a reward. It's about working hard and then getting something for that hard work, which is the ride.
09:23 John Daub: The weather is beautiful today. So it looks like if I keep on working hard, I should be able to get a ride within the next 5 minutes? At least that's my hope. That's always been my hope. So I'm going to Fukuchiyama. When a truck goes by, I change the sign. That's a great strategy. Because trucks are going a lot further. Because in Maezuru is a ferry that takes the trucks to Hokkaido. All the ferries from Kyushu come and drive here and then drive on to the ferry which takes them to Hokkaido. The local people in the cars are not going to go to Maezuru. They're going to go here. Or at least in this direction. Fukuchiyama. And every time a big truck comes, I just flip the sign like this. So it's upside down.
11:07 John Daub: Hitchhiking tips. Alright, folks. I'm going to get to work at this. This looks like it's going to be hard work. Go to the Instagram page. I'm going to do an Instagram live stream tonight to update everybody. If you're on Patreon, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I'll have a Patreon-only live stream with question and answer. I appreciate all the support. You guys... This is fantastic. I'm not here alone. I have you. And that makes this trip so much... This is why I'm doing the trip. I'm doing it to do this together.
11:49 John Daub: So everybody, thanks for rooting for me. Thanks for cheering me on. Thanks for joining me on this amazing adventure across Japan. I'm 38% of the way to Hokkaido. And it gets a lot easier from here on out. So see you from the road, everybody. Enjoy the trip. And enjoy this beautiful scenery for the next three, two...