[Sangetsu]

Yes, the road tolls are stupidly expensive here, and taking the smaller roads to avoid paying for them can add a lot of time to your trip. But almost every small road I travel on offers something interesting to see or do. If you've driven in Malaysia, then driving in Japan will be a cakewalk.

If you are going to drive, plan out your trip using Google Maps or such on your computer, and print out a map book covering the route you intend to take.