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Will Ferguson

Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan Hardcover – July 1, 2003

by Will Ferguson (Author)

4.2 153 ratings

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The author invites readers on an adventurous and humorous journey as he hitchhikes the full length of Japan, beginning in a small town where local gardeners dust their blossom petals after the nearby volcano sprinkles them with ash.

Print length

433 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Soho Press
Publication date

July 1, 2003
Dimensions

7 x 1.75 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

1569471339
ISBN-13

978-1569471333
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author had been teaching English in Japan for two years before he decided to hitchhike from one end of Japan to the other and then write about it. His goal was to follow the trail of cherry blossoms that, at the start of spring, crest in a wave from Cape Sata in the south to Cape Soya in the far north. Ferguson hitchhiked with "a decidedly limited arsenal of Japanese, most of which seemed to revolve around drinking and the weather." Although many of the people he encountered not only went out of their way to transport him long distances, offering him meals and opening their homes to him, there were times when he was treated as if he were a stereotypical Westerner. After a sailor called him "Henna gaijin!" ("Weird foreigner!"), Ferguson replied by asking the sailor whether he was Korean. This is one of a few incidents throughout the book that touch on Japan's caste system, which stigmatizes Japanese-born ethnic Chinese and Koreans. Most of the writing, however, is less concerned with social issues, and the general tone of the book is irreverent as Ferguson encounters wild monkeys, visits the famed Bridge of Heaven and shares a drunken, emotional evening with a former soldier who had been a POW captured by the Americans during WWII. It all makes for a pleasingly witty and offbeat travelogue.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ferguson (The Hitchhiker's Guide to Japan, Tuttle, 1998) was teaching English in Japan when he decided to follow the cherry blossoms as they bloomed from south to north. To get to know the Japanese people better, he opted to hitchhike the whole way. Hitchhiking is technically illegal in Japan, but Ferguson had little trouble getting rides. He not only provides some insight on Japanese manners and mores but really captures what it is like to be a foreigner in Japan. As a gaijin, he played various roles: the honored guest, the entertainment (kids at the zoo find him more interesting than the animals), the temporary escape from Japanese society, and the rude barbarian. But the one thing he wanted most he could never have: to feel as if he belonged. He captures all of this with great humor, a touch of sarcasm, and a clear affection for Japan. This book is an updating of Alan Booth's The Roads to Sata (1986), which remains the standard. Highly recommended for travel and foreign studies collections.?Kathleen A. Shanahan, American Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Soho Press (July 1, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 433 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1569471339
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1569471333
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.7 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1.75 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,961,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #866 in General Japan Travel Guides

Customer Reviews:
4.2 153 ratings

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4.2 out of 5

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Hitchin In Japan

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

There are some seminal travel books about Japan that are important in the incisive observations the authors make about Japan and its inhabitants. Perhaps, the best example of this is Donald Richie's To The Inland Sea. That being said, I would rank Alan Booth's The Roads to Sata right up there with Richie's masterpiece. In fact, it was this book that inspired a later day classic, Will Ferguson's Hokkaido Highway Blues (1998). Booth walked from Hokkaido's Cape Soya to Cape Sata in Kyushu, and Ferguson has hitch hiked from Sata to Soya during the hanami (cherry blossoming viewing) season chasing the cherry blossoms as they spread north. I'm impressed he did around the time I first came to Japan in the late 90s and I'm glad that I waited to read his account because I am now more familiar with the country and have visited many of the places that he has-however not all and some of his descriptions have identified places that I want to visit (Sado Island in Niigata and Hirosaki in Aomori, and Hakodate among others). Ferguson's tone and style are much lighter than that of Richie and Booth, but he can also make astute observations about Japan and its people. Perhaps the biggest dichotomy he analyzes is whether or not the Japanese are arrogant or insecure, a topic he brings up with some of his driving companions and to which one of drivers responds that they are both. There are many memorable passages for insights or humor and I wish I had taken note of a few more of them to illustrate what i mean. However, there many other interesting stray observations he makes like the fact that the Ainu people (indigenous to Hokkaido) were not officially Japanese citizens until 1992, he also muses on the head-scratching "Engrish" that one encounters in Japan-"Let's Coke!", and gives background on famous areas sights and traditions like bull fighting in Uwajima in Shikoku, Himeji castle in Okayama among many others. It was an entertaining and insightful book and can be considered a classic and required reading for anyone interested in Japan.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Anne S Wagner

LOL Funny at moments, Hollow at others, Hard to Finish in the end.

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022

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It would be hard not to like this author. Although his sense of humor is quite different from mine, I laughed aloud & often through the first half. But something happened at almost exactly halfway that the author himself figured out and shared about three-quarters through the trip. He had chosen an undertaking that gave him (mostly) superficial connections with a variety of Japanese people, but which left him lonely, anxious to be done, & mostly spent by the end. Three places in the book, I tagged insights that provided better context (i.e., Ainu indigenous peoples), or personal musings on what this was about, that I wanted to go back & read again. This author has that capacity. But it was underutilized on this story.

2 people found this helpful

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Christopher Fryer

One Of The Funniest Books I Have Ever Read

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2004

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I have lived in Japan about 8 years and have read several books about Japan. I enjoyed Booth's "The Road To Sata" but he chose to walk the whole way so he did not have as many encounters with Japanese people as Will Ferguson did (Will hitchhiked most of the way). I really enjoyed Will's witty writing style and he mentioned so many things that foreigners experience while living in Japan. Some reviewers commented that the author often makes fun of the Japanese and does not show enough respect for their culture. But I think anyone who has lived here a while has to develop a sense of humor and laugh at certain things or they will go crazy. Will pokes fun at himself quite a lot too and there are some very touching moments like when a Japanese man talks about his experience as a POW. I also recommend Dave Berry Does Japan, Learning To Bow, and The Road To Sata.

9 people found this helpful

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Tim

I love this book

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2012

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In fact, I love this book so much that I've owned at least 6 or 7 copies of it (under its current name: Hitching Rides With Buddha). I keep giving it away to friends. Just ordered another two copies; one as a gift, and another for myself to KEEP.

After reading it for the first time in '06, just before deciding to move to Japan myself, I wrote to the author, Will Ferguson, and asked for his advice. He was so friendly and helpful, I was blown away. Helped me to realize that moving to Japan was definitely the thing to do at that stage in my life.

While this book may not be for everyone, it's certainly my style. Love it. Highest recommendations. (And thanks again, Will.)

6 people found this helpful

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Sean Holland

Condescending and Poorly Written

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2013

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I live in Hokkaido and I have thoroughly enjoyed other travelogues of this same genre, notably Alan Booth's "The Roads to Sata" which I consider a classic. Eager to read another book in this same vein, I eagerly purchased this book and dove in. I couldn't bring myself to read beyond 20 or 30 pages. Basically, I failed to see why I should listen to the author. He completely fails to establish himself as an expert on anything Japanese, an able speaker of Japanese, or as someone who even seems to like Japan and Japanese people. Authors like Alan Booth and Paul Theroux (whose rail journeys through Japan are worth reading) are either professional writers, or bring weighty and learned observations to their travels. They also dedicate themselves to the journey, unlike Mr. Ferguson, who seemed to only have taken a few weeks off of work and then rushed himself north through the country. And these authors manage to be critical and witty without being condescending or rude, which Mr. Ferguson comes off as frequently. He admits on one page that his Japanese is only passable, yet seems very confident in everything that people are saying to him. I'm sorry, but this just doesn't ring true. This book doesn't deserve to be considered as a thoughtful travel chronicle; it offers the reader nothing but vapid pseudo-spiritualism and constant, unmitigated and unfunny sarcasm. Additionally, the title "Hokkaido Highway Blues" is misleading and should be revoked for someone who might one day actually write that book.

12 people found this helpful

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Patrick Daley

Really great stories in here but I lost interest about 3/4 ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

I think the book is a tad bit too long. Really great stories in here but I lost interest about 3/4 of the way through. If you are a hitchhiking, travel, or japanese culture enthusiast its definitely worth a read! I was very interested in how the author is treated by the Japanese people.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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kao

Hokkaido Highway Blues

Reviewed in Japan on December 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

12/27到着予定でしたが、注文してから1週間ほどで届きました。
迅速な対応ありがとうございました。

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Cloud

AMAZING READ

Reviewed in Japan on April 26, 2010

Verified Purchase

This book is a really great read! Its written in a way to make you feel as though you are there in the story experiencing the random adventures and shenanagans that go on.

Definately recommend this book :)

One person found this helpful

H. Jones

A long wait and well worth it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2000

Verified Purchase

I have been waiting for this book for about ten years... it was ten years ago that I first went to Japan and ever since then I have longed for someone to write about their experiences of Japan and the Japanese - not as a traveller merely passing through, but as a person who has lived and worked with the Japanese, who both can empathise with them and yet find them even more enigmatic as time goes on. This book made me laugh a lot - but knowing Will from Kumamoto days, I had expected that, but it also made me cry which shocked me to the core.
This is the first book that has articulated the feelings I have held about Japan and haven't quite been able to express as Will has: that love-hate relationship, the wabi-sabi, and for all who have lived there for any amount of time, it should strike deep chords. For those yet to go there, it is a wonderful introduction to (and preparation for) the "real" Japan, the Japan of the rice padis and red lantern restaurants, of kindness, of hypocrisy, of gaijin vs gaijin-san of the bizarre and poignant.
What I also appreciated was the background history that was entwined within the book. I certainly learnt a lot and wished I been aware of all those cultural snippets of information before I went.
I would thoroughly recommend this book to all who have had some Japan experience whole-heartedly and for those who have yet to go - take note of the konnayku reference and it will stand you in good stead for the trip!

3 people found this helpful

Natalia

Will Ferguson has managed a pretty special feat in the writing of this book - ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

Will Ferguson has managed a pretty special feat in the writing of this book - he has managed to be funny and poetic in turns, and show the different facets of Japanese life by telling us about the people he meets and the places he goes on his travel from the South to the North of Japan, following the Sakura (Cherry Blossom).
This is not your usual travel book. For starters, Ferguson travels (mostly) by hitch-hiking, and therefore meets a wide variety of everyday Japanese people in his travels. The only museum he writes about is one that has a rather large stone vagina. He is in turns dismissive and exultant about Japanese culture. He is, in other words, typical of most of us who spend any time in Japan - he realise that he both loves and hates the place, and that the sooner you come to terms with this the better.

This is not your typical book about Japan, and is all the better for it. Some books written by Westerners about Japan end up being love stories written about a country that doesn't really exist. Some end up being rants about an evil empire, that similarly doesn't exist. Ferguson brings us Japan as he sees it, and to me it is believable.

And by the way - this is a very funny book. Insightful and humorous. What a bargain.

3 people found this helpful

GinAyre10

Fascinating journey through Japan

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

Having read the author's 'Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw' before I travelled Canada, it seemed appropriate to buy this book before I went on a (somewhat shorter) trip to Japan. It was a really enjoyable introduction to Japanese culture, and tales off the Japanese beaten track were very interesting, and also usually amusing. I can't agree with other reviewers that the author shows disrespect to the Japanese people; he is clearly mostly charmed by them but still recognising their quirks, in a way Bill Bryson tends to write. It was a great companion as I sped along the shinkansens, albeit I managed to get through it far too quickly (I wish I had the unedited version he alludes to). However, don't expect to read much about the main cities of Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc) as the route the author travels is away from these places, but this obviously helps the book stand out from other Japanese travelogues.

One person found this helpful

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