Before you go
On days when you drive away from the cities, take just one rule with you.
When the fuel gauge hits half, fill up at the next gas station.
A rule recommended by a Hokkaido tourism association
The Furano Tourism Association in Hokkaido calls this the “Half-Tank Rule” and recommends it.
When the fuel gauge hits half, fill up at the next station you find. That’s all there is to it.
The reasons it gives are that Hokkaido is big and has fewer stations than you’d expect, that many small stations close at 6 p.m., and that very few are open 24 hours.
Opening hours — in the countryside, many stations close at night
JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) says the same thing.
Deep in the national parks, stations get scarce. Many close in the evening, so it advises filling up before you leave the main roads and before you drive at night.
It also says that because many stations close at night, especially in the countryside, you should fill the tank if you’ll be driving through the night.
Fill up once before you leave the main roads or before the sun goes down, whichever comes first.
Once you’ve decided to fill up at half
Few stations, early closing — once you’ve decided to fill up at half, you’ll hardly notice either.
What to do if you run out of fuel and the car stops is in “Breakdown, Flat Tire, Dead Battery, Locked-In Key, Out of Gas — A Step Card for When Your Car Stops.”
Instead of checking the fuel gauge again and again, you can watch the scenery out the window as you drive.
※ The number of gas stations and their business hours differ by region and by station. Check the stations in the area you’ll be driving before you set off or when you’re there.
