Hi dear Steemians! Here goes my 2nd post and also about hitchhiking.
Back in 2014 I was traveling around Japan not only hitchhiking but also doing some urban camping to protect my fragile budget in one of the most expensive countries in the world.
I was doing autostop from Nagasaki, down south, to Osaka when it happened. I was in Kurasiki, a nice town near Hiroshima when I found myself suddenly pointed by a camera and a microphone in the middle of the street.
They introduced themselves from the TV show "Why did you come to Japan?" and after a few questions about my visit in the land of the Raising Sun, they asked me if they could join me while I hitchhike to my next destination, Kakogawa.
Until then, everything was good and calm, but when they turned off the camera I decided to tell them the truth. I told them that I was not paying for accomodation or so, but just doing urban camping because of my low budget. Their faces changed and I felt they were going to cancel the whole operation.
After 20 minutes they got the confirmation from Tokyo that they could pay me a hotel for the night, but on camera I was pretending I did it.
Long story short, they paid my accomodation in the most rainy night of all my stay in Japan and even dinner.
On the next day I got a microphone cable under my tshirt and a hand camera for the 1st ride :)
They were 3 different cars that helped me until we got to Kakogawa city, where my couchsurfing host was waiting for me.
Fantastic experience which I will never forget.
Check it out!
Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the video, especially if you speak/read japanese, haha!
Hey Ben, I'm Erik, nice to meet you. I live in Japan and used to watch "Why Did You Come To Japan" all the time, but I never saw your episode. Regardless that was very cool they followed & took care of you. I've actually learned quite a few things about Japan because of the show and it's adventurers like yourself. I hope you enjoyed your time here.
Welcome to Steemit. Looking forward to your adventures. Re-steemed and followed.
Hi Erik, thanks so much for your nice message. Yes, the stories are a bit out of the normal tourist going to Japan, so I´m sure there must be amazing characters in this show. Also, I heard that the japanese gov is supporting this kind of shows to "educate" their people about foreigners and focused on the Olympic games 2018 or 2022 or something like that.
Thanks again :)
Hi there... welcome to steemit and glad to hear you enjoyed staying in Japan with famous TV show! thanks for sharing 🌸
Hi Yo yo! Thanks so much, yes, it was a really nice experience. Thanks for commenting :)
I used to watch alot of this programme too.
Love this episode! Glad to read the behind-the-scene first before actually watching the video. LOL
Pls continue to post your adenture in Japan. I would love to read all of them!
Hi @jrvacation! I am glad you liked it. Yes, I will post a few more things about Japan soon. I love that country so much!
Thanks for passing by :)
A great read and a really neat video too! I don't speak Japanese but I had no problem understanding what was going on. What a trip! Hitchhiking seems like such a wild experience. Awesome post
Thanks for the support, man!! Haha, ya, that was crazy.
Big hug!
I had so much fun watching the video even though i do not understand japanese. It's great to see what kind of adventures you are experiencing.
Safe travels furthermore!
Hey I´m so happy you liked it! And yes, moving this way is fantastic, a lot of amazing stuff going on non-stop!
Thank you :)
Woooah, that's totally crazy ha ha! And also what a great souvenir to have after all those years. Watching this really made me smile. You can never know for sure what to expect when backpacking :D :D ^^