Obon exodus gets under way
TOKYO —
Trains and planes were full Saturday as the Obon holiday rush got under way.
This year, many companies are giving their employees Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off for the Obon holiday season.
JR reported that some shinkansen trains leaving Nagoya for Hakata and Osaka were running at 170% capacity on Saturday morning, while shinkansen trains leaving Tokyo for Tohoku were running at 150% capacity.
Narita airport officials reported that more than 50,000 people are expected to leave from the airport on Saturday, taking advantage of the strong yen. Guam, Hawaii and Europe are among the most popular destinations, according to travel agencies.
At Haneda airport, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines reported that all their outgoing flights for Saturday were full.
The return peak period is expected to be Aug 18 and 19.
Japan Today
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10 Comments
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0
BurakuminDes
Have a happy and safe Obon, everyone. I plan on getting drunk and partying - just like the locals! No awful Shinkansen for me hopefully...
1
Disillusioned
Not my company!
-3
smithinjapan
Only the major companies like Panasonic or Toyota are doing it, more or less. Some smaller ones might be too, I guess, but not based on what the people I've talked to have said (who work for small companies).
Anyway, I like to avoid these exoduses like the plague they are. 20 km traffic jams, jacked-up airfare prices (with the airlines always suddenly stating there's a 'fuel shortage that will end after the holidays'), etc.
6
edojin
Good ... now I can easily get a seat on the subways, trains and buses here in the Tokyo area .... At least for a few days ...
1
CrazyJoe
Enjoy the Bon Odori festivals if you haven't been to one yet.
2
JDB829
I made the mistake once of trying to visit a friend in Kumamoto (from Nagoya) during O-bon season. Like I said, I made the mistake ONCE. Did the same thing during O-Shogatsu ONCE by trying to go to a shrine on 1/1! Wow! Talk about crowds! Interesting to say the least!
1
Serrano
"Many companies are giving their employees Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off"
Disillusioned: "Not my company"
Hear, hear!
1
Open Minded
Not judging Japan, but I am always surprised that the metro load never goes down. In western countries it is a dream to go working in summer time: train empty, no traffic jam and lunch restaurant available. In Tokyo: always crowded. Take time off guys and try starting enjoying life outside of your company!
0
gogogo
170% is not mathematically possible, it just means that the trains are not running at 100% normally.
-2
Thomas Anderson
It just means the capacity was 70% more than the (recommended) maximum capacity.
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