EhimeAJET.com - Travel: by Car

Japanese Highways / Car Travel Tips / Japanese Automobile Federation

Traveling by Car in Japan
Lucky you, you have a car! You can get anywhere you want to go and do it on your own schedule! Travel through Shikoku has just opened up a whole world of convenience for those more remote and off the beaten path locations.

Japanese Highways
Highways are a bit expensive and you might not know how much it's going to cost you. Guess what, there's a website that does it all for you.

JH Net
Click on the section called ''Highway Navigator''. This system has not yet been translated in English but the examples available should help you work your way through. Ask your teacher for some assistance. You'll see how amazed they are when they realize it's not too expensive after all to get out of Shikoku. The site not only calculates the distance, but also gives you the price and time it will take you to get to your destination.

A Few Tips

Get a map!
For long distances, use a car with a yellow plate. They consume less gas, are cheaper on the highway and fit on tiny one lane roads (if you get lost).
Travel with some friends and split the bill. It might turned out to be less expensive that a ferry ticket for each one of you.
Travel as much as you can on free roads. This might take more time, but you'll see much more and pay less. By the way, the road to Misaki from Matsuyama (sea road) is absolutely gorgeous. Why not go picnic?

Japanese Automobile Federation
It might be a good idea to subscribe to the Japanese Automobile Federation. They offer a range of services similar to your home country's automobile association (AAA, CAA, etc) It costs around 6000 yen a year to be a member. For more info, visit their website.