Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
The New Year holiday U-turn rush entered its final day Sunday as thousands of holidaymakers crowded airports, train stations and expressways on their way home.
ANA and JAL reported 90% load factors on their domestic and international flights, while low budget carriers reported full loads on flights to short-haul destinations in Asia.
Travel agencies said trips to Europe were especially popular this year because many people had an extended 9-day holiday. Some 657,000 people traveled abroad between Dec 29 and Jan 6, tour operators said.
Narita Airport officials estimated that 48,000 people would return on Sunday alone.
JR companies said Tokyo-bound shinkansen trains were running at 100-140% capacity on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Japan Road Traffic Information Center said that traffic congestion is expected on the Tomei Expressway near the Yamato Tunnel in Kanagawa Prefecture until late Sunday night.
© Japan Today
10 Comments
Login to comment
sandiegoluv
I guess everyone MUST BE STILL stuck in a traffic jam right now because usually there would be SOME comments here.
Pukey2
Don't know about the others, but I'm still on my break and won't be back until after the rush is over (although I'm guessing the plane will still be full).
Serrano
"I'm still on my break and won't be back until after the rush"
Slacker, ha ha!
borscht
I remember when the number of citizens fleeing Japan during holidays was reported as a per cent age of the population. As in: 11% traveled abroad. I also remember JR (or JNR before them) announcing trains at 200% capacity. And I was on one of those. ow economies change, eh?
Anton Ivanov
Not right. On my way from Gotemba to Yokohama roads were alomost empty.
japan_cynic
I just flew out - narita was a breeze. Lots of people coming the othe way though!
kringis
Yeah, these numbers are pretty pathetic for a supposed exodus. Not many figures out yet for other countries (at least not in English), but UK which has half the population of Japan had 4.5 million overseas during the Christmas period. I'm sure the economy is partly to blame, but I also think the big difference between Japan and other countries is the lack of desire in younger people to travel overseas. Overseas travel seems to have a stigma attached to it saying only older people or families can do it.
waltery
Hope everyone makes it home safe. Full planes from Bali/Jakata. Nice to be back where everything is well organised, clean, running on time. Happy New Year to all.
Kakukakushikajika
0.5% of the population went oversea... Big deal!
CrisGerSan
i do hope everyone had a nice time and arrives safe home ....but how in the goodness sake do they get 140 percent of capacity on the trains? people must be stacked up three deep .....i can only imagine
well safe travels everyone and happy new year.