Uji: re speed cameras : we have driven 7 times before in Honshu and Kyushu and have exceeded the speed limits but sensibly ie: following other traffic and using common sense and have never had any problems so far--touch wood. So when Toyota Poplar at Chitose told us at the start of our rental this past July to be very careful with speed cameras in Hokkaido, we said nothing. First experience was within 1 hour of leaving Chitose on our way to Lake Shikotsu on a local road, a half hidden police car switched on its siren to stop the car behind us. We were travelling at or just over the speed limit at the time--phew ! Second time was on our way back to airport on our last day from Furano to Takikawa inter, just outside Akabira-shi I think, we were actually trapped and stopped by police radar. When the cops realised we were tourists, they asked to look at our passports and then let us off with a warning, in English--very close shave !! Elsewhere, on the straight road to Sounkyo from Pippu inter, we saw another police radar trap but you always only see it when you go past. Luckily we were following a lorry at the time. So in my book, Hokkaido is really tight on speeding. To Jonathan : I didn't say I had very little time for sightseeing, I said YOU would if you stick to your original plan. we were ok with our plan, for example, we took 3 days from Biei to Furano, which allowed us to enjoy the many sights in the area. We COULD have driven straight thru from Biei to Furano and then just visited farm Tomita + a couple of the touristy sites in Furano and be finished in a day but I think that's what tour groups generally do and my own view is if I wanted that, I may as well just join a tour. In my humble opinion, the extra cost and effort of driving is precisely to go where tours don't + experience the local cuisine and ryokans which again many tour groups don't give you. As for ENglish GPS or not, I think the most important consideration is whether you have driven before in Japan and whether you understand Japanese or not. Don't get me wrong, we understand very little Japanese and the past 7 times when we have driven in Honshu and Kyushu, NO ENGLISH GPS was available from ANY rental company (in fact I think GPS is only available in Hokkaido). Bottom lineis if this is going to be your first time driving in Japanese, then Japanese GPS will be less stressful but otherwise no big deal. In fact if anything, as Connie Chiwa says, the Japanese GPS is better because its database is more comprehensive and gets updated more frequently (how do I know that, it will be another whole chapter, just trust me here). You should be aware that ENGLISH GPS means only the speech is in English, the interactive display remains in Japanese but it is so easy to understand that I wouldn't worry about this. As for ETC card, some companies provide it as others don't. Toyota Poplar (note there are 2 different Toyota franchises at Chitose, I forget the full name of the other company) did provide us with an ETC card free. It is IMPORTANT to have this depending on your route. For example a large part of the expressway from Sapporo to Pippu inter (just past Asahikawa) is actually free, or was in July, but ONLY to ETC holders !!! Anyway, if the rental company provides the ETC free, there is no downside. How easy or difficult is it to drive with GPS ? Well IMO it is ALWAYS easier WITH than without GPS, whether it be in Europe, USA, Australia or NZ which are the other countries I have had experience driving in. As for how easy or difficult is it to drive in Japan, IMO Hokkaido is among the easiest place to start in Japan. Drving through metropolitan Tokyo or Osaka for instance is definitely NOT recommended for first timers. As for your itinerary, I would add an extra day in Sapporo to take in Otaru, they have some fab sashimi there, even overnight in Otaru if you are feeling romantic as the weather will be getting cool by then. I would cut out the whole Kushiro/shiretoko area because it is mostly local roads and do that whole region as a separate trip. Make use of the expressway this time from Noboribetsu up to Asakikawa (check out Asahiyama zoo + visit a local sake brewery there), then drive down from Biei to Furano, most of the flowers would be gone but there are still plenty else worth seeing/doing. Finally, Marukoma onsen I suggested above is really worth it. Good luck and I believe you will come away glad that you chose to drive and eager to get back to a driving holiday in Japan. We recommended driving to our friends years ago, then finally one couple took it up 2 yrs ago and after their first driving trip, they went back to Japan 3 times within that year.
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