Public Transportation: Trains and Buses
Japan Railways (JR)
At Tomakomai Station you can access the JR line. Here there are various trains that can go nearly everywhere in Hokkaido. You will need to use the train if you visit Mukawa High School, so best to get familiar with it!
How to Pay
You can purchase tickets at the ticketing machine (English is available) or you can go to the window and ask the workers there as well if you're having trouble (good Japanese practice)! Unfortunately IC cards (e.g. kitaca and suica) cannot be used at this station. However, you can resume usage of the prepaid cards in areas like Sapporo and Hakodate. Be weary that lots of places in Hokkaido don't accept IC, espically more remote areas. So, it would be best to get used to using the machines if you plan to use the trains a lot for travel!
Buses
The bus company in Tomakomai is called "Donan Bus." Here is the time schedule and routes. Just enter your starting point and where you want to end up and viola! This bus can take you nearly anywhere in Tomakomai and beyond! Unlike Japanese trains being always on time, the buses can run late here (espeically during winter or peak hours), so be sure to account for that during your commute! Google maps isn't always accurate either so I wouldn't rely on that too heavily. I found Donan bus' website to be more accurate with the schedule and how late the buses are running.
How to use the buses
When you board the bus take the small ticket from the machine. This ticket will have a number on it, the number tells the driver which stop you boarded on. At the front of the bus there should be a screen with the bus stop numbers and fare amounts. The amount will update at each stop, so keep an eye out for the price change. Once you reach your destination, drop your boarding ticket off at the front, along with your fare. You must pay this in coins and in exact change. If you're too lazy to deal with the coins and calculations, you can buy a bus card at Food D. Just go to the first register (where the cigarettes are) and ask the person at the register. They then will ask you what amount you'd like to purchase.They come in various set amounts (minimum being 1000円, maximum being 5000円). With this card you can just feed it through the card reader at the front when you are getting off and the machine will automatically deduct however much your trip cost! Before I had a car, I usually would buy these prepaid cards bi-weekly for it made my commute less stressful.
Bus Card
This is the pre-paid card you can purchase at supermarkets.
Bus Ticket
This is the ticket you take whilst boarding the bus so your fare can be calculated once disembarking.
Driving in Japan
Living in Hokkaido (espcially when not in a big city like Sapporo), I would say having a car really improved my quality of life immensely. In Japan it is a lot of paperwork and hassle but I think it is worth it whether you plan to stay short or long term!
Getting your license
Unfortunately if you are American and plan to stay here longer than the International Driver's Permit permits, you must take a driving test at the Sapporo Driver's License Examination Center. You must take a written test (in English), but there is also also a skills test on their pre-made course at the center. For the skills test you do need a little bit of Japanese ability for they conduct the test entirely in Japanese! Thankfully it's only basic terms like "left" and "right", but best to be prepared! If you want more information on how to obtain your license, check out this website!Owning a car
In Japan there are two types license plates.Yellow plates and white plates. Yellow plates are usually smaller cars (kei cars) and have smaller engines. They are typically cheaper to maintain. White plates are the bigger cars, with bigger prices.
Not only must you pay a yearly car tax in April (ranges from 10,000円~30,000円), you will also have to do Shaken (Japan's vehicle saftey inspection) every 2 years (3 years for brand-new cars). This price also varies but it is typically 100,000円 or more. Also living in Hokkaido means the need for winter tires! For more information about driving in winter, check out out the "Surviving Winter" page! Also important to note that it is illegal to drink and drive. You must be at a 0.00% blood alcohol level everytime you get behind the wheel!
Taxis
Taxis are very straight forward here! Just make sure you know how to say the place you want to go! The taxi drivers know just about every corner of this city! Not only that, the fare is very reasonable.
From downtown Tomakomai back to the teacher housing, I typically would spend less than 1500円 per ride. Way cheaper than an Uber and no tips (yay Japan)!
If you see this kanji "空車"(Kuusha,"open taxi") it means the taxi is open and ready for business, so just wave it down and they'll come get you!
On the other hand this kanji "実車"(Jissha, "occupied") means that the taxi won't stop to pick you up!
Bikes
Biking is a very cost effective and healthy way to make your way through town. Note that if you buy a pre-used bike from someone else, you must register it under your name at a police station (Japan loves paperwork). However, since I bought my bike new from Don Quijote, the staff there sorted all that paperwork for me which was nice! Since bikes are treated as a type of vehicle, it is also illegal to cycle under the influence of alcohol. Also it is technically prohibited to wear headphones, use a cellphone, or carry an umbrella when biking, so proceed with caution!