Japanese hitchhiker experiences authentic China beyond tourist trails

Borneo Post

11-07-2025

Tanikawa poses for a photo before leaving Nanjing University on the first day of his journey in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Jan 21, 2025. – Xinhua photo
NANJING (July 12): Far from an impulsive adventure, Japanese student Tanikawa Hibiki's over 3,000-km hitchhike from Nanjing to Urumqi on a tight budget and schedule was a thought-out plan to experience the real China.
After coming across some stereotypes on how Chinese and Japanese people perceive each other, the 24-year-old felt reality might tell a different story.
'Only by communicating with Chinese people can one see the real China,' he said.
With that belief in mind, Tanikawa, who is a postgraduate student at the School of Journalism and Communication at Nanjing University, set out on a unique journey on Jan 21 this year.
'I want to understand China through its people, not just view China as a foreigner,' Tanikawa added, noting that beyond this social exploration, he also wanted to discover more of the country and meet as many people as possible.
Before setting out on his hitchhiking journey, Tanikawa picked up a camera for the first time to document the lives of ordinary Chinese people.
At the start of his journey, he conducted a 'social experiment' by asking drivers if they were willing to give him a ride.
If they said yes, he would then reveal that he was Japanese to see whether they would change their minds.
Traveling from Nanjing to Urumqi, Tanikawa's journey involved more than a dozen car rides.
Of the 17 drivers he encountered, only one refused him after learning that he was Japanese. Most, upon learning his nationality, still chose kindness and offered their help.
What impressed him most was a driver who openly admitted to holding negative views about Japanese people but still offered help to Tanikawa, simply because helping others had been a habit since childhood.
Tanikawa said this encounter made him rethink the true meaning of kindness.
Tanikawa poses for a photo during his journey in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, on Feb 5, 2025. – Xinhua photo
Along the journey, Tanikawa embraced a variety of authentic experiences.
He took time to adjust to the accent of a northwestern couple, watched students returning to school aboard a slow green train, chatted with a young driver about cartoons, and listened to another driver in the city of Luoyang in Henan Province explain how the city's architecture inspired Kyoto's.
These moments – some new, some engaging, some profoundly meaningful – combined to shape Tanikawa's deeper understanding of the real China.
'The hardest part of the journey was not getting a ride and being stuck in one place,' Tanikawa said.
'Luckily, I could sometimes chat with passersby, and it felt like a recharge.'
Looking back on the challenges he encountered, he vividly remembers the emotions and feels grateful for having embraced a mindset that allowed him to welcome the uncertainties of the journey.
On the second day of his journey, while in Taihe County, east China's Anhui Province, Tanikawa was struck by severe stomach pain and abandoned his plan to stay in a tent, opting for a hotel instead.
'I experienced the same in Xinjiang,' he recalled.
'I really enjoyed eating lamb skewers. The meat was cut into big, satisfying chunks. But my digestion couldn't keep up. At night, I felt uncomfortable and had to sleep holding my stomach.'
On the eighth day of his journey, Tanikawa celebrated his first truly memorable Chinese Spring Festival at a classmate's home in Luoyang.
It was New Year's Eve, and sitting around the tea table with his classmate's family, he savored the festive feast and heartfelt conversations about life.
Tanikawa said he felt like he had become part of an ordinary Chinese family.
Coming from Japan, where personal space is highly valued and people tend to keep their distance, Tanikawa found himself immersed in China, filled with warmth and close personal connections.
He spoke candidly about how this experience transformed his outlook.
'At first, everyone thought I was very shy because I wasn't used to such closeness. But gradually, as I communicated more with Chinese people, our bonds grew stronger.
'If I could speak to my past self, I'd say: 'Don't worry so much. As long as you're not hurting others, it's okay to be more direct'.'
Throughout his 30-day hitchhiking journey, despite numerous challenges, Tanikawa experienced the warmth and sincerity of China and was deeply touched by the countless kind-hearted faces of ordinary people.
'What I experienced wasn't just a hitchhiking trip, but a journey through the very fabric of a nation,' he said.
Tanikawa added that his journey is just beginning, and he intends to continue savoring the most authentic sides of China with every step.
'I'm planning to visit Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan during the summer break. I'd love to go to Xizang as well, but I'll need to save up before making that trip.' – Xinhua adventure China hitchhike Japanese Tanikawa Hibiki Xinhua