As I started to plan our trip to Mount Fuji from Okayama, I was met with obstacles at every turn. The local trains would take too long, the shinkansen would be too expensive and not direct enough, and to take the express bus, we'd have to go to Osaka first, wait a few hours for the next overnight and then sleep on the bus overnight. Or my husband and I could rent a car and drive the 10 hours to Mount Fuji.
The latter idea was not mine, I have to admit. About a month earlier, a young Japanese couple arrived at my door: "My name is Hiro. My name is Mai," they said. They had started a new car rental business called Hero Travel Support and they were courting foreigners with the slogan "See Japan by Car!" Their hand-made brochure said, "Now you can save money by sleeping in your car!" Hmm, that's what hobos do. And who really wants to sleep in a car anyway? Nonetheless, I tried to be polite and invited them inside to talk about it.
As we sat in my living room discussing travel in Japan over a cup of instant coffee, I realized there was a major misunderstanding. They meant "See Japan by Camping Car!" Now it was beginning to make sense. Sort of.