For speed and convenience nothing beats the Shinkansen. There is no need to go through airport security and the time from buying a ticket to being on board and moving can be as little as 10 minutes. It is fast, comfy and expensive. For those on a budget nothing beats the highway bus except maybe hitchhiking. Tickets for these buses may also be purchased on the day of travel but it is a bit more of a hassle. I waited too long to buy my ticket and therefore had to wake up extremely early in the morning to ride the Hot Dog Bus back to Nagoya after the Fulbright reception. I boarded the bus pictured here at Shinjyuku Station. This bus is no frills so instead of an on-board toilet the bus stops at rest stops along the way. The trip is longer because of this but not my much. Mimi’s sister made me a bento box lunch which I ate onboard and slept most of the way to Nagoya.