Travelers flooded airports and train stations in Tokyo and other cities in Japan on Friday to head to their hometowns in the first summer holiday season since the legal status of COVID-19 was downgraded to the same category as seasonal flu.
Travelers lined up for security checks at Haneda airport in Tokyo, but some were concerned about a powerful incoming typhoon that is expected to bring stormy weather from around Monday to the country's eastern and western regions.
"Because the coronavirus pandemic has settled down, we can have a gathering with our relatives," said Yusuke Tada, 44, who was heading to Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan from Chiba Prefecture with four other family members.
"But we may return earlier than planned depending on the typhoon," he added.
JR Tokyo Station's shinkansen platform was crowded from the morning onward, with many people carrying large suitcases.
The Bon holiday period in mid-August is one of Japan's main vacation seasons.
Reserved seats for the week beginning this Thursday were up 1.5 times from a year earlier on local and bullet trains to 2.7 million, or 92 percent of the level seen in 2018 before the global outbreak of the coronavirus, according to figures released late last month by Japan Railway companies.
Reservations for domestic flights were also 1.2 times higher to 3.7 million, while those for international flights doubled to 556,000.
In May this year, the government downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza and greatly relaxed health restrictions, marking a major shift in approach after three years of dealing with the coronavirus.
Rules on face masks were lifted in March, leaving the decision about whether to wear one in public up to individuals.
© KYODO
19 Comments
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sakurasuki
Those hotels and shops not only open during obon holiday. Even current holiday season their result are good, there still the rest of the year where they need to open their business.
Japantime
This is like the big holiday season in every country. Everyone rushing to the airports and stations.
EFD
Good news for tourism and the economy. And with the cheap Yen, there hasn’t been a time when it was this economical to visit Japan since the early 90s.
Yubaru
Pop quiz time! How many times does O-Bon occur in Japan?
If you said "one", you would be wrong! So would "two". There are actually 3 different O-Bon in Japan. July 13th, 14th, and 15th, August 13th, 14th and 15th, and lastly in Okinawa the "lunar" O-Bon which varies from year to year. This year the Lunar OBon which is the 13th, 14th and 15th day of the 7th month of the Lunar calendar, falls on August 29th, 30th, and 31st.
Yubaru
Pop quiz time! How many times does O-Bon occur in Japan?
If you said "one", you would be wrong! So would "two". There are actually 3 different O-Bon in Japan. July 13th, 14th, and 15th, August 13th, 14th and 15th, and lastly in Okinawa the "lunar" O-Bon which varies from year to year. This year the Lunar OBon which is the 13th, 14th and 15th day of the 7th month of the Lunar calendar, falls on August 29th, 30th, and 31st.
falseflagsteve
I avoid travelling at this time of year, everywhere is packed and the hotels charge rip of prices you see.
Yubaru
FYI, no it isn't. Odds are that there are few people in "western" countries that have ever heard of "O-Bon" in their home country, prior to coming to Japan.
This "holiday" rush of traffic is endemic to only a few countries, and Japan is one of them!
Kaowaiinekochanknaw
So good that all the fear quite a few paranoid people were pushing of everyone dying on masse when they took off the masks has died off.
Nice to see some more smiling faces around, festivals back in full swing and sensible living by breathing fresh air.
Mark
Best News in a very long time , 3 years of restrictions, limitations, and destruction are behind us. Congrats to everyone that made in and RIP to all that did not. Now let us move forward and put this pandemic behind.
Next let us all work toward peace and REJECT any leader or war mongers beating the drums of war at our door steps.
Taking out the trash
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Wandora
I can barely go outside in this heat, let alone travel.
eric_japan
Still see many Japanese people walking the streets, and not a soul around, walking with masks on.
Most foreigners are maskless. Smart in this weather
1glenn
Like everyone else in the world, Japanese are tired of staying at home.
Hideomi Kuze
after Covid19 downgrade, deception or falsehood as if Covid19 ended or weakened are spread from Govt or corporations or major media, its cases and deaths are virtually concealed from general public, Society behave as if Covid19 don't exist.
Data show that cases and deaths of present 9th wave are beyond last summer 7th wave, but Govt distract their eyes from it, major media don't report it.
nosuke
that’s a no brainer, the yen is weak
Albert
I never travel during obon. All those crowd and increase of prices. No thanks.
Just have scheduled an holiday outside obon on August 23.
wallace
We stayed at home and made sukiyaki and drank iced strawberry sake.
Hercolobus
Leaving Haneda was a nightmare with a long security line. Immigration was ok but tricky. In the US spent about 1 hour in the immigration line. Out of 40 windows, only 8 were manned.
餓死鬼
I'm sometimes curious what will come up if I Google something you recommend Googling. So I tried it here and, as one might have expected, it brought up a bunch of stuff that appears to have sod all to do with the article above. By the way, are you the guy who wrote "Naked Lunch"?