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This week’s B ME Bites Trivia Question:

Welcome to Edition #70 of B ME Bites! Sometimes travel isn’t about what you planned — it’s about how quickly you adapt when the plan changes.

This part of the journey came with unexpected costs, confusing systems, long drives, and one very memorable ferry experience… but also some genuine wins that reminded us why flexibility matters so much on the road.

(Reminder: B ME Bites is now landing in inboxes fortnightly - well mostly 😉 - while its new sister newsletter, Effortlessly Organic Living, takes the opposite week.)

Japan Adventures Part 7: Tolls, Ferries and the Road North

The part where Japan’s toll roads shocked us

This stretch of the trip came with a few surprises, some quick decisions, and a lot of learning along the way.

🚗 Motorhome Goodbye and Toll Shock

We started the day driving to Narita, Tokyo to return the motorhome and pick up a smaller hire car for the next leg of the trip.

Driving toward Narita, this enormous statue suddenly appeared on the horizon. Even from the road — and only catching the top half from the side — it was impossible to ignore. A quick search later revealed it was the Ushiku Daibutsu, one of the tallest Buddha statues in the world. We didn’t stop this time, but it was one of those moments that makes you realise just how many incredible things you can glimpse in Japan simply by being on the move.

That calm, reflective moment lasted right up until we were hit with the bill for the toll fees.

That’s when we discovered just how expensive toll roads in Japan really are.

Here’s how it works:

• a base fee every time you enter a toll road

• an additional charge per kilometre

• tax added when you exit

We’d been told tolls were expensive, but we were still completely gobsmacked when we found out we’d spent around $650 AUD just in tolls with the motorhome.

From that point on, we decided we’d try to avoid toll roads wherever possible.

🛣️ When Avoiding Tolls Isn’t an Option

Our next drive — from Narita to Sendai — should have taken about 4.5 hours.

Without toll roads?
Closer to 8 hours, and that didn’t even include toilet stops.

So, reluctantly, back onto the toll roads we went.

Sometimes the “cheapest” option ends up costing far more in time and energy.

Once in Sendai, we stopped by the Pokémon Centre before turning our attention to the next big challenge — booking the ferry north.

⛴️ The Ferry Booking That Nearly Fell Apart

We planned to take the ferry from Aomori to Hakodate and had actually tried to book it from Australia while organising the trip. The problem was that the online booking system requires the exact make and model of the car — something we wouldn’t know until the day we picked up the hire car.

What we didn’t realise at the time was that online ferry bookings close 48 hours before departure. Because we only picked up the hire car 24 hours before travelling, by the time we finally had the car details we needed, it was already too late to book online.

As we started looking at other options — including the possibility of leaving the car at the hire depot in Aomori for two nights — the rental car company became increasingly frustrating and completely unhelpful. Definitely not a company we’d use again.

Enter: Ririko, whom I call my Japanese sister.

She called the ferry company (Seikan Ferry) for us, managed to secure tickets cheaper than what we’d found, and even booked our return ferry as well so we wouldn’t have to stress about it later.

What could have turned into a disaster turned into a total win.

⛴️ If You’re Taking a Car on a Ferry in Japan

Here are the main options we discovered:

• Book online in advance — you’ll usually need the exact make and model of the car, and online bookings often close 48 hours before departure.

• Turn up and book at the terminal — you can pay on the day, but availability isn’t guaranteed, especially during busy periods.

• Call the ferry company — if you speak Japanese, or have a local contact who can help, this can be the simplest option.

• Build in flexibility — being open to different crossings or times makes everything much easier.

If you’re travelling with a car, plan early — but always have a backup option.

🚛 Race Truck Driving (A New Sport?)

While waiting in line to drive onto the ferry, we watched dock workers loading truck trailers.

One driver — instantly nicknamed “Kamikaze” — drove those trucks like a race car driver.
Fast. Precise. Slightly terrifying.

I managed to capture him on video the second time we saw him. Slower than the first, but still much faster than normal.

A whole new category was born: Race Truck Driving.

🌊 Across to Hakodate

The ferry crossing took around 3.5–4 hours and was smooth and calm.

We arrived in Hakodate, checked in for the night, and took a breather — grateful that everything had worked out far better than it initially looked.

🚙 The Long Drive to Sapporo (No Tolls!)

The next day, we set off driving north to Sapporo, this time deliberately avoiding toll roads.

Taking the slower roads meant coastal views, small towns, and some unexpectedly lovely stops along the way.

We had lunch at a little seaside restaurant, stopped at a lolly shop with an interesting history, called Happy Deer’s (which we initially thought was a bar… but really just needed a toilet stop 😄 — highly recommend popping in if you get the chance), and visited a panorama park simply because we’d never been to one and didn’t actually know what it was.

We also stumbled across a small store selling organic produce — the first time we’d seen anything organic since arriving in Japan — and it felt like a tiny but meaningful win. If you’re passing Roadside Station Toya Lake, it’s another highly recommended stop, with lots of local goodies and a café as well.

By the time we reached Sapporo, we stopped by the Pokémon Centre before heading to our Airbnb, where we settled in for two nights.

🚻 A Small Stop That Made Us Laugh

One of our Michi No Eki stops had a fold-down child seat inside the toilet cubicle — designed so a mum can safely sit her baby while she uses the bathroom. Thoughtful, practical… and in this case, very much out of order.

It was completely taped up with a sign covered in Japanese writing explaining the issue. The English translation underneath simply read: “It is in trouble.”

Honestly… same.

It made me laugh far more than it probably should have, and of course I had to take a photo. One of those small, unexpected moments that stays with you.

🌸 Travel Lessons So Far

🛣️ Time matters more than distance in Japan — unless future-you enjoys seeing toll charges stack up faster than expected, give yourself time to take the slower, scenic routes. They’re easier on the budget and often far more memorable.

🔄 Flexibility is not optional — ferry booking rules, hire car details, and sudden plan changes can feel stressful in the moment, but rolling with them often turns “this is going badly” into “OK… that actually worked.”

🤝 Local knowledge is absolute gold — when systems are confusing or things don’t quite add up, one helpful phone call (or one very kind human) can save hours of stress and a lot of second-guessing.

💬 What’s something future-you learned the hard way while travelling — but is glad you know now?

✨ Looking Ahead

Next up in Japan Adventures Part 8:

• Hokkaido highlights

• Blue Pond and lavender everything

• Fairy-lit forest paths

• A Pokémon-themed Michi No Eki

• And the final toll total that still hurts a little…

In Case You Missed It: B ME HQ Weekly Recap

🌿 Effortlessly Organic Living – Edition #8

In our last EOL edition, we dove into the difference between fragrance and fragrance-free products — what those terms really mean (and why it matters for your home and health). If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, you can check it out here:

Effortlessly Organic Living 8: Fragrance vs Fragrance-Free — The 2-Minute Decoder

🌅 B ME Sunrise Bite of the Week:

An early 4am wake-up in Sapporo and an east-facing balcony gave us… well, not much colour in the sky — but a soft glow reflected in nearby windows.

Sunrise reflection?
My daughter says it’s just lights.
I’m choosing to see it as a sunrise anyway. 😄

Sometimes it’s not about what shows up — it’s about how you choose to see it.

📍 Sapporo, Japan

🎥 Watch Sapporo Sunrise… or Just Lights? You Decide | B ME Sunrise Bites Day 74 🌅 on YouTube

📺 Explore the full journey on the B ME Sunrise Bites YouTube Playlist
(Remember to hit subscribe!)

Resource Roundup

Below is a resource list that has been created with you in mind. Whenever something new that could be helpful is discovered or created, it’s added to the list, so check it out from time to time. If you’re strapped for time, once you open the page below, click on Resource List in the top menu, then click on the “Health Tools” link for a list of items that could be helpful on your path to a better you.

The answer to this week’s trivia question is:

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Warm regards,

Shari Ware Chief Encouragement Officer at B ME Bites

PS - Here’s a little Friday funny for you! (Watch it on YouTube)

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