Trains, planes full as holiday U-turn rush peaks
TOKYO —
The New Year holiday U-turn rush peaked on Thursday as thousands of holidaymakers crowded airports, train stations and expressways on their way home.
Narita Airport officials estimated that 44,000 people would return on Thursday alone. Haneda airport said most domestic flights were at 98% capacity. Low budget carriers reported full loads on flights to short-haul destinations in Asia.
JR companies said Tokyo-bound shinkansen trains from Kyushu, Osaka and the Tohoku were fully booked.
Meanwhile, Fuji TV reported traffic congestion up to 44 kilometers on the Tomei Expressway near the Yamato Tunnel in Kanagawa Prefecture as of 6 p.m. Thursday.
Since many companies have also given their employees Friday off, the next U-turn rush is expected to peak on Saturday afternoon.
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17 Comments
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0
lwsydney
Uhhh they were pretty crowded before..now this!
0
edojin
Gee, that was fast. Seems as if everyone just left ...
-1
JeffLee
The peak return day is a Thursday?!? Come on, greedy Japanese employers, now about giving your workers the Friday off as well. One day out of 365 ain't gonna kill you.
3
japan_cynic
Japan already has a huge number of public holidays. The problem is that people don't take their annual leave.
0
kimuzukashiiiii
Most Japanese companies only initially offer 10 days annual leave, going up a day for every year worked. And public holidays are non-mandatory for companies - otherwise on public holidays there would be no shops, supermarkets, restaurants or entertainment facilities open. Realistically, the only time in a year where a Japanese employee will get time off on a public holiday off is at new year.
Mix that with a 6 day work week for many people, and you will see that the average Japanese worker has very little time off at all.
0
smithinjapan
JeffLee: "The peak return day is a Thursday?!? Come on, greedy Japanese employers, now about giving your workers the Friday off as well. One day out of 365 ain't gonna kill you."
To be fair, it does say some companies gave extra leaves and the next peak will be Saturday. The sad part is that there is little or no choice for people who refuse to choose. Regardless, I'm glad I'm missing this.
1
japan_cynic
Statutory leave goes up by 2 days a year to 20 days in 6th year (source: all over the web). Add 16 public holidays, it's more than most countries (again, check the web). Eg, the UK has 28d (8 public holidays are included in the 28d statutory min).
The problem is that people don't take them.
-1
kimuzukashiiiii
The thing is ... the law says "10 working days for the first year to 20 working days for the sixth year." That doesn't mean it gradually increases year after year. And this is only applicable to regular employees. Its fairly common practice to only give a day a year, or a day every 2 years, until the 6 year when they get 20. AND if you have had a "employment break" (for example, a woman takes a years maternity leave from her company, although remains a company employee, and returns when her child enters hoikuen) It can remain the same for a year. They don't increase on your return.
Have you seen how hard it is to get a non contractual, company employee job nowadays? Now more and more companies are offering yearly contracts for the first 2-5 years before giving an employee an actual "Kaishain" position. Meaning, that by the time Taro has been at the company 5 years, he could theoretically still only get 10-11 days off a year paid. Could be looking at 10-11 years before he recieves the holidays he should have been getting at 6 years.
If you have ever worked in a Japanese company, you will also realize that people are usually forbidden from taking more than a day or 2 a month by contract (or at least heavily dissuaded not to by bosses and coworkers) unless it is an extreme situation (for example honeymoon.) Even then, they will be guilted into working overtime for the next few months to "make up" for their absence.
PLUS most countries have a 5 working day week, with 9-5 hours, and very little overtime. I mean yeah, in America, SOMETIMES you will have to work a saturday. Or you work saturdays and sundays but have tuesday and wednesday off instead.
My standard monthly contract (This is NOT overtime, just part of my regular monthly pay) at my company, has me working on average 2-3 saturdays a month, on top of my regular monday-friday job. My working hours are also 9-6, plus meetings which are extra. And a very regular occurence.
For example, in my personal case, I return to work tomorrow, and because we just had the "New year holiday" I will be working every saturday this month to make up for it. So its not really a "holiday" - just a way they the company I work for shuffle employees days off.
I see my friends who are teachers (especially the big chain international hoikuens) with more paid sick days in a year than I get holidays, and sometimes I feel incredibly Jealous... ><
1
Open Minded
Kimuzukashiiiiii: so depressing to live in the 3rd WW economy and not being able to enjoy at least a full week vacation whenever you want. Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand the word vacation even does not exist in Japanese (at least my colleagues write 4 times day off, day off, day off, day off when they take a week with a public holiday within the week). It really sounds it is a shame to take vacations.
I personally take 3 weeks in summer and 2-3 weeks during New Year, plus a few days here and there. And I do not care what my japanese colleagues think about it! I enjoy life with my family.
0
Serrano
"Trains, planes full"
And automobiles, I bet!
2
kimuzukashiiiii
Openminded - Please tell me how you are able to do such a thing - teach me your secret! Do you really get 5-6 weeks a year paid leave? Or is some of it unpaid leave?
I think, short of me losing a limb, I would not be granted unpaid leave from my company. Or I would, but then miss the next bonus... Especially not for something as frivolous as a holiday. Recently, my very pregnant co-worker caught norovirus while at work (an elderly care facility) and she was ordered not to come to work, and needed a doctors certificate to say she could return to work.
STILL she was only given unpaid leave for those days! They refused to let her use her holidays she had available, because she had not submitted a form in advance. These are the kind of tactics Japanese companies use.
Moderator
All readers back on topic please.
0
BurakuminDes
I wonder if the passengers on the shinkansen are still doing the usual Pretend-to-sleep-and-keep-the bag-on-the seat-next-to-me trick? I've seen families with little kids have to stand up due to deadbeats here pulling that trick - sooooo selfish!
0
BurakuminDes
Dunno about that - Japanese public workers and big company staff get plenty of national holidays compared to many OECD nations. 18 or 19 or something which is a lot! My joint - Australia - gets something like 8!
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Open Minded
kimuzukashiiiii: no secret: after 15 year in the company I have 22 days paid leave. I have to work sometimes during the weekend and make up these days. Then combining with public holidays, I can enjoy these long and revamping breaks.
The secret is most likely that I am not under the japanese co-workers nor boss' pressure. Because I work for the output, not for the sake of working and following the processes. But I must admit I am not the best liked guy in the company... And again I do not care: family and mental health first.
I fully appreciate your situation - and recognize I am a lucky guy - but IMHO something is wrong with the vacations here. Getting really off the job is an absolute must for me to keep my motivation and efficiency. To give you a clue I come from a country that has been ranked regularly #1 in WW competitiveness and there it is mandatory to take at least 2 weeks vacation in a row every year.
And no need to absolutely make fancy things: I have spent the whole day making cookies with my kids. Just a true happiness!
0
wanderlust
I thought the peak return day would be Sunday, to maximise the time away, but I guess they want to come back a day earlier to clean up and get ready for work...and recover from the traffic jams and queues.
0
JeffLee
@smithinjapan
Yeah, you're right. The story is misleading: it should say in the lead or headline about a "double peak." Peaks are supposed to happen once in a given timeframe.
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