Holiday traffic rush hits Japan on 1st day of Golden Week 4-day break
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 12:09 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism
All modes of transportation experienced peak congestion Saturday, the first day of the four-day holiday in the second half of Japan's Golden Week, as the travel and return rush intensified, operators said.
Reserved seats on shinkansen bullet trains were quickly filled, while many domestic flights were at full capacity. Train stations and airports were packed with travelers, with long traffic jams expected on expressways.
Most seats on Nozomi bullet trains departing Tokyo on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line were already booked Saturday morning. Reservations for other shinkansen lines were also mostly filled from the first services of the day through early afternoon.
According to All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, only a few seats were available on domestic flights departing from Tokyo's Haneda airport.
Expressway operators said outbound traffic from major cities including Tokyo was set to be heaviest on Saturday, while the return rush is likely to peak on Monday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
10 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Japan firms push for individual investment options for aircraft, cars
KYODO NEWS - 6 minutes ago - 09:54 | All, Japan Some Japanese firms are looking to provide individuals with opportunities to invest in commercial vehicles such as aircraft and rental cars for island tourism, hoping such products will help investors to broaden their portfolios beyond traditional stockholdings. In what it calls Japan's first publicly offered aircraft investment product tailored for individual investors, FPG Securities Co. will start soliciting funds for an Airbus A320-200 from late June, with the minimum investment amount set at 1 million yen ($7,000) per unit. The small-lot product will make it accessible for individuals to "own" aircraft, which can cost more than 10 billion yen when brand new and are usually targets for investment by major trading houses and institutional investors. As the Airbus aircraft will be leased to Spain's flagship airline Iberia, investors will be paid annual dividends from the leasing revenues and may also earn returns from the capital gain on its eventual sale. With the investment term set for two years and 10 months, the company is projecting a first-year return rate of around 6 percent. The product carries the risk of falling below its initial value at redemption, such as in the case of a decline in air travel demand due to conflicts and pandemics. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp., meanwhile, is preparing to launch an investment product for retail investors in collaboration with a rental car business affiliated with Idom Inc., operator of used-car chain Gulliver. A total of 200 cars purchased by the financial institution in the southern island prefecture of Okinawa in March are to be packaged as a small-lot investment product within the next few years. While investors can gain from returns from the rental company's profits, the rental firm will not have to borrow funds from banks. "We hope investors will see this as a way to secure means of transportation at a tourist site and help address challenges such as overtourism," a Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking official said. Related coverage: Gold investments booming in Japan as U.S. tariffs stir economic fears Japan gov't official vows to work to defend global financial markets Japan mulls creating new tax-free investment program for seniors
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Kyodo News
Princess Kako wishes for lasting ties with Brazil on 130th anniv.
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 17:37 | All, World, Japan Japanese Princess Kako expressed hope that Japan's friendly ties with Brazil will "continue for many years to come" during a speech before its congress Wednesday, as the two countries mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations. "It is truly delightful to celebrate together and reflect on the relationship between our two countries, which is rooted in a long history," said the niece of Emperor Naruhito at the ceremony in Brasilia, which also commemorated the arrival of Japanese immigrants in Brazil more than a century ago. "I feel appreciation for the friendly relationship built by many people, including those who moved from Japan to Brazil and their descendants," said the princess in kimono, thanking Brazilian society for accepting Japanese immigrants. Brazil is home to the largest community of Japanese immigrants, with about 2.7 million people living there. The first group of Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in June 1908 under a government policy at the time to encourage emigration in the wake of an economic downturn and a growing population. But many died due to the harsh living conditions and exposure to malaria. The 30-year-old younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko attended a luncheon hosted by the Brazilian government after the ceremony and offered a toast in Portuguese. In the afternoon, she paid a courtesy call on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and conveyed a message from the emperor and Empress Masako that said they wished for the continuous development of the friendly relationship between the two countries. Princess Kako is scheduled to visit eight cities during her trip to Brazil, which began June 5, before returning to Japan on Tuesday. ==Kyodo
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Kyodo News
Princess Kako wishes for lasting ties with Brazil on 130th anniv.
KYODO NEWS - 6 minutes ago - 17:37 | All, World, Japan Japanese Princess Kako expressed hope that Japan's friendly ties with Brazil will "continue for many years to come" during a speech before its congress Wednesday, as the two countries mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations. "It is truly delightful to celebrate together and reflect on the relationship between our two countries, which is rooted in a long history," said the niece of Emperor Naruhito at the ceremony in Brasilia, which also commemorated the arrival of Japanese immigrants in Brazil more than a century ago. "I feel appreciation for the friendly relationship built by many people, including those who moved from Japan to Brazil and their descendants," said the princess in kimono, thanking Brazilian society for accepting Japanese immigrants. Brazil is home to the largest community of Japanese immigrants, with about 2.7 million people living there. The first group of Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in June 1908 under a government policy at the time to encourage emigration in the wake of an economic downturn and a growing population. But many died due to the harsh living conditions and exposure to malaria. The 30-year-old younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko attended a luncheon hosted by the Brazilian government after the ceremony and offered a toast in Portuguese. In the afternoon, she paid a courtesy call on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and conveyed a message from the emperor and Empress Masako that said they wished for the continuous development of the friendly relationship between the two countries. Princess Kako is scheduled to visit eight cities during her trip to Brazil, which began June 5, before returning to Japan on Tuesday. ==Kyodo
