Rush of home-bound holidaymakers peaks in Japan

Kamis, 03 Januari 2013 13:47

(TOKYO-Kyodo) The rush of holidaymakers returning to the Tokyo metropolitan region after spending the year-end and New Year holidays in hometowns and other destinations peaked Thursday, crowding trains, airplanes and expressways.

Reserved seats on Tokyo-bound bullet trains from northern, central and western Japan were almost fully booked, according to railway operators.

Holiday season travelers also packed domestic flights to Tokyo's Haneda airport, with All Nippon Airways Co. reporting 98 percent of seats on flights booked and Japan Airlines Co. 91 percent. Japan Airlines expects the number of returning travelers on its flights including international ones to peak on Saturday.

Expressway operators expect inbound traffic to get heavier through Thursday night. A traffic jam of up to 35 kilometers is expected Thursday night near Sasago Tunnel on the Chuo Expressway in the central Japan prefecture of Yamanashi, where a ceiling collapse in early December killed nine people and outbound lanes are temporarily being used by traffic in both directions.

On the Tomei Expressway connecting the Tokyo region and central Japan, congestion for 35 km is expected in the evening around Yamato Tunnel in Kanagawa Prefecture to the west of Tokyo, an area prone to traffic jams.