Driving to Japan

[21st Century Man]

A few years ago I had a drive to Japan planned, this was just before Covid/Putin and was surprisingly straightforward, with many online blogs and YouTube videos by people who had done it.

Dover-Calais, through Western and Eastern Europe into Russia, onto Moscow, then the Trans Siberian highway (now a ribbon of tarmac) all the way to Vladivostok, then the car ferry to Donghae South Korea and then onto Sakaiminato Japan.

Covid came along, and Putin kicked off, with subsequent sanctions, making the Russian leg rather difficult.

Alternative routes are problematic. I could go from Turkey through Iran and the Stans and into China, then the ferry from Shanghai to Japan, but I'm not allowed to drive my own vehicle through China without a paid chaperone to ride along, so paying for that and their food and board is expensive and no flexibility in my itinerary. It also wasn't permissible for a Brit to drive through Iran to get to the Stans.

However, it is now possible to drive through Iran, and I can get from the Stans into Russia, bypassing Europe and then continuing on to Vladivostok. It's also now possible to access banking and currency in Russia, so the trip appears to be doable.

There is currently no road crossing through Europe via Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway or Finland. I can get into Belarus but there are no border checks into Russia so it could be an illegal entry and/or possibly a refused entry if declared.

My research shows that the following may be possible though.

Through Western and Eastern Europe
Turkey
Iran
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan
Russia, Vladivostok
Ferry to Donghae
Ferry from Busan to Fukuoka

I'm going to do some more research and may have a crack at it next year. I'm also following a blog by a couple of British lads of Indian background from London, currently planning a similar route in a UK vehicle.

Any advice would be appreciated, as well as discussion of the morality of engagement with Russia in the current climate? If I can cross the border from Kazakhstan and obtain access to banking and a MIR card to pay for fuel, hotels, cash from ATM's etc.

Thank you for your interest.

Edited by 21st Century Man on Wednesday 10th April 22:35

[White-Noise]

Very interested!! Exciting project and one I would love to do as I love Japan. However no way would I be trusting some of those places at least at the moment. Definitely taking no chances. I'd be more likely to go the other way round the world I'll keep an eye on this with interest though. Would you consider sailing it?

On the other hand you could fly to Japan buy a nice jdm model and drive it back and flog it. No idea if that's a good idea just popped in my head.

[GT03ROB]

Consider also Turkey -> Georgia -> Azerbaijan -> Ferry to Kazakhstan

Avoids Iran. Turkmenistan is not hospitable either.

Think long & hard about going through Russia.

[RichFN2]

Not sure if you have seen the journey on YouTube, but someone called Spaghetti Road drove from Denmark to China and went through most of the countries you will need to consider as an option.

(It also looked like one hell of an adventure!)

I suspect getting the ferry from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, mongolia and finding the best route to Vladivostok would be fairly easy but from what I have seen most of the Stans are mainly utterly baron and I suspect would end up soul destroying. mongolia being the same (remember that Grand Tour episode?)

I suspect going via China will be far more interesting but you have the cost factor.
Do keep this update and please create some sort of travel vlog, might also be worth learning some Russian.

[Bill]

Not sure I'd be happy going through Russia. No idea how much of an issue the general population would have with you, but the risk of being caught as a "spy" and used as a pawn has to be fairly high.

Could you minimise the China expense by doing a short leg from Kazakhstan to mongolia and then a longer one from mongolia to S Korea?? ETA via a ferry obvs!

Edited by Bill on Wednesday 10th April 18:54

[21st Century Man]

GT03ROB said:

Consider also Turkey -> Georgia -> Azerbaijan -> Ferry to Kazakhstan

Avoids Iran. Turkmenistan is not hospitable either.

Thanks for that, really helpful. I hadn't considered there was a ferry to do that across the Caspian.

[GT03ROB]

RichFN2 said:

but from what I have seen most of the Stans are mainly utterly baron and I suspect would end up soul destroying. mongolia being the same (remember that Grand Tour episode?)

That might be an understatement.

I regularly go from the Atyrau on the Caspian to Aksai up near the Russian border. It’s around 600-700km.

It’s’ flat & featureless. I go through 1 smallish town, 1 city & a couple of villages. Thats it

[21st Century Man]

GT03ROB said:

I regularly go from the Atyrau on the Caspian to Aksai up near the Russian border. It’s around 600-700km.

I just looked at that route. Great to hear from someone with experience.

[Bill]

This suggests the Japan leg of the ferry isn't running any more.

[ecsrobin]

Worth checking the foreign and commonwealth office advice for the countries listed, you may also struggle for travel insurance for some of the countries.

[GT03ROB]

ecsrobin said:

Worth checking the foreign and commonwealth office advice for the countries listed, you may also struggle for travel insurance for some of the countries.

If he misses Iran & Turkmenistan, then heads into China/mongolia no problem

[21st Century Man]

Bill said:

https://www.koreakonsult.com/easternDreamCruise_en... This suggests the Japan leg of the ferry isn't running any more.

There are a number of routes, on and off. Currently the Sakaiminato is off.

Vladivostok - Donghae is running, then Busan to Fukuoka.

Edited by 21st Century Man on Wednesday 10th April 19:11

[21st Century Man]

GT03ROB said:

If he misses Iran & Turkmenistan, then heads into China/mongolia no problem

Yes. Many thanks for that.

[Bill]

Ok!

[gotoPzero]

This is the kind of thing I used to sit pondering about on slow days in work.

Out of interest how long do you think it will take? What sort of vehicle you planning to use?

Then are you planning to drive round Japan? Will you be bringing the car home?

[21st Century Man]

I'll probably take it easy with no fixed schedule. The vehicle is suitably rugged and reliable, easy to fix with a hammer, high ground clearance, leaf springs and beam axle, my LDV Convoy minibus campervan conversion. It can stay in Japan for a year on the carnet, so I'll probably tour around a bit then leave it at my boy's house and do the return leg the following year.

[21st Century Man]

RichFN2 said:

Not sure if you have seen the journey on YouTube, but someone called Spaghetti Road drove from Denmark to China and went through most of the countries you will need to consider as an option.

Thanks for that, will watch.

Just finished. It was pretty much as I expected, extreme hospitality in Iran, and a ready stash of petty cash in dollars to help and support the administrators and the Police in the Stans

Edited by 21st Century Man on Wednesday 10th April 21:47

[ChocolateFrog]

Not taking the Century what a trip that would be.

I do wonder how much the constant anti-UK, anti-US rhetoric in Russian Media influences the average Russian.

One of those things where you'll almost certainly be absolutely fine but the consequences of bumping into the wrong person could be very costly.

I took a few preconceived ideas to Argentina but I found them to be very welcoming and friendly people.

[Shaoxter]

Following! This is the sort of stuff I'd love to do if I had the time.

[andyA700]

Back in 2018, I was in the Iranian consulate in Kensington waiting for my visa and there was an Irish guy, who was doing a trip in his Land Rover, across Europe, Turkey, Iran and then the various "Stans". I kept up with his voyage on his blog, the country he enjoyed most was Iran.