1. Driving is on the left and the lanes are narrow. UK visitors will have no problem; Americans will find it trickier.
2. Japanese police have zero tolerance and complete discretion w.r.t. driving under the influence. Just don't do it; drinking even one beer and then driving is enough to get thrown in jail. And you do not want to get thrown in jail in Japan.
Yes. Those road stations(michi no eki) are a very safe, free option to get some rest or sleep in your camper / car / truck.
Many, if not all, will also have clean public toilets available 24 hours, amazing local produce for sale, and, those Japanese vending machines with hot coffee(those are specially awesome after business hours). Some(very few) will also have a place to dispose of the camper waste.
Another tip: in a real pickle, if it is late and if you are very tired, and you can't find a campsite or road station, a Japanese convenience store will almost always have large parking for cars. They usually don't mind if you park for a couple of hours, specially if you buy some stuff from their store. Plus, they always have clean public toilets.
> Many, if not all, will also have clean public toilets available 24 hours, amazing local produce for sale, and, those Japanese vending machines with hot coffee(those are specially awesome after business hours).
They are incredible, and a testament to the highs of Japanese culture. I biked across most prefectures in 2019 and was blown away by michi no eki. The local produce as you mentioned is fantastic - I ate local cherries, peaches, chestnuts, as well as more types of soft serve ice cream than I ever thought could exist on this planet. More than that, many have sento/onsen attached, with entry costing less than $5.
The same concept should be repeated all over the globe, and is to some degree, at least in the US. However the average is far worse in the US whereas michi no eki in Japan are consistently good to excellent.
- Rent a car, better yet, rent a cheap camper van[1]. Save a ton of money on hotels.
- Get a local 4G internet card. Save on roaming charges.
- Set the option to "Avoid tolls" and "Avoid motorways" on your favorite navigation app. Slower, cheaper and much better scenery.
- Sleep on Road side stations(free and safe), bath on hot springs, wash your clothes on funny laundrettes.
- Use an app[2] with offline mode and content in English.
[1]https://www.japancampers.com/
[2]https://apps.apple.com/us/app/michi-japan-road-guide-offline...