Hitchiking from Fukuoka to Tokyo, then camping in Yoyogi park.. any experiences?

Are you serious? I can't really suggest you camp in Yoyogi park. It's not Yellowstone after all. You will be hassled by everyone from hentai who go to the park for nozoki; to the people who get watched by hentai, to bossy homeless dudes who will demand rent or that you drink with them, the local chonankai/assorted busybodies, punk kids, not to mention the police. If money is tight a sauna is a good place to crash, they have a room where you can sleep. I can't recommend hitchhiking either, but you could luck out and get a trucker who runs you..say from Fukuoka to Kansai etc. and then hands you off to a colleague who is high balling it to Tokyo overnight. The independant truckers are the ones most likely to pick up hitchhikers and one of those guy might get on his wireless with his buddies and arrange onward connections for you. It's not like the expressway is the scenic route. You will see a lot of the inside of tunnels and roadside pissoirs and I hope you don't mind second hand smoke. A rail pass is a lot better idea IMHO. Anyways, don't let me tell you how to spend your vacation. I just don't think Yoyogi is the best place to "camp" in the Tokyo area if that's what you insist on doing. You don't have to go that far out of town to find an acutal campground-Chichibu should do.

I have only hitched for short distances but if you do it, good luck! It is a long distance so I'd like to recommend a backup plan. Camping in the park?? I think there are a lot of bums in the park so be careful. Trasnportation is so easy that I never thought about hitching... Sounds like a great experience. Have fun and good luck!

I don't reccoment you to hitch such long distance. Hitch hiking is not popular in Japan. and if you enter into mountain side accidentely, you will lose easily and won't be able to see any other cars at all. I think you can not camp in Yoyogi park, it is prohibited and the park will be closed at night time. and many homelesses gather at night. If you wanna camp, you have to go to camping site. but no such place in the central Tokyo.

I like all the answers above,,If all guys are like this, that would be helpful to girl like you travelling. well hope you have fun and lear ned from them. Yoyogi is not recommendable, there are homeless people sometimes that stayed there and if they are unlucky they are the targets of people who made fun of them..like drunk or young teenagers and you don't want to put yourself on risk, that is why there are many policemen around there to watch out.. .. Take care and don't travel alone in places you have no idea where you going.well I did that before No, not the hitchicking..I just got lost and no way to find a bus or train on my way home and someone offered to give me a free ride out of nowhere ....had no choice and I arrived home safe. GOD will follow you anywhere so when you are lost,,pray and He will send someone to rescue you..Prayers take me anywhere... good day !

I'm sure you'll be fine. Not the best of ways to travel in japan but I guess you're no stranger to it all so you know more than I do about it. As for Yoyogi park and camping are you thinking of pitching a tent? Or just sleeping on a bench in a sleeping bag? Either way I'm sure you'll be fine. The weather's hot enough and it's relatively safe. Just be sure you're close to one of the exits or near pedestrian foot traffic. I remember Yoyogi park was dark at night and as someone mentioned many creepy people roaming at night. But of course Yoyogi park is better than Shinjuku Chuou central Park. :) Hope you have fun!

It is dangerous to do camping in the parks, such as Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. You may be attacked by big Large-Billed Crow. http://homepage3.nifty.com/shibalabo/crow/buto/zukai/buto.htm The Crows will also twitter since very early morning, and you will lack of sleep. Some Internet cafe, Manbo in Kichijoji city for example, also provide shower and blankets (not free), and it is cheap for sleeping 5-6? hours at nignt, but may you need to pay attention to your own proparty so that it is not taken by other customer at Internet Cafe. because you can not lock your bath room like space up from outside. or if you pay a bit more, you can find cheapest guest house for back packers from around 2000 yen / night in Tokyo.