Japan Road Safety

Japan is a very expensive country, and their expressways are top of the list!  My toll bill yesterday was over $60 AUD!!!  Granted I was on the expressway for about 6 hours, but still!

However -  You get what you pay for.. always!!  Japan has EXCELLENT roads...  they are super smooth, seem very new, clean (never see a lick of trash anywhere), and safe!  So much maintenance being done on the roads and tunnels, and always so safely guided around it..

My favorite is this guy...

 

 Well before entering the tunnel..  they have this fake safety guy, then there is another real guy on the other side, and usually one or 2 more real people with flags..  besides all the workers, flashing lights, and warnings.. very very safe..

Interestingly, I noticed I have not once seen a police car on the expressway..  There is a speed limit, I usually go 10-20 km over, but the majority of people fly past so fast even then, it must be the equivalent of the Autobahn in Europe.  Lots of Ferrari's here - AND Harley Davidson's!  For a country so rich in motorcycle manufacturing, I am surprised at what a presence the Harley has here..  I miss my Harley, it would have been so much more pleasurable to be riding than what I've got now.. But, it wouldn't have made the trip so easy in the long run, right?  (somebody please tell me I'm right, so I can stop cursing the KTM and it's unstable wobbliness, height, and lack of comfort!)

Another big day of tunnels, but I made it to my goal destination Fukuoka, across the bridge from the main island to Kyoshu Prefecture.

Another dag gone big city!!  AND, I had really good weather  right up to when I got off the expressway and it went into a massive downpour... 2nd day in a row, when I need to start navigating my way through the city madness to whatever backpackers was on my list...

It is really difficult... the main numbered roads are okay, but the chop and change and I get all confused! I pull into servo after servo.. I show them my map and we point and I eventually get to at least the right "area".. by then the streets are all in Japanese, so I have no hope.. But I did pull onto an alley way, I saw a cook in the back alley for street "Sachi machi" and I was on it!!  Hallelujah, but how did I do that!!??

Found my backpackers, was disheartened that the only available space was the attic, up a steep staircase and then a ladder!  Is that legal?  Safety standards..!!  No window, unable to stand up, crawl through only..

I got all my gear up there, and a little help with my one big bag.. then settled in to my little space.. wasn't that bad once I put the sheets on my floor futon.. after being rainsoaked and tired, anything will do at that point, plus it was cheap! ;-)