Japan's year-end homecoming rush peaks as long year-end holiday begins
Japan's year-end homecoming travel rush peaked on Saturday, with major train stations and airports crowded from the morning as families with suitcases queued on platforms, kicking off a holiday stretch of up to nine days, Kyodo reports.
With the year drawing to a close, after rising prices weighed heavily on daily life nationwide, many travelers said the long holiday offers a rare chance to relax and spend quiet time with family.
At Tokyo Station, a 78-year-old company employee returning to Osaka Prefecture from a solo posting near the capital said prices rose across the board this year, making life tough, but he was "looking forward to seeing my grandchildren."
He clutched bags of sweets in both hands for his grandchildren, while a 40-year-old worker from Osaka traveling to Hiroshima Prefecture said at Shin-Osaka Station that a job change had marked a fresh start and he wanted to reassure his parents.
Crowds also filled Tokyo's Haneda airport as travelers checked bags and carried gift boxes for relatives. A 25-year-old woman said her year-end trip to Hiroshima Prefecture is an annual routine, adding, "I want to visit a shrine and take it easy with my family."
A 45-year-old female public servant left for Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, with her spouse and two daughters to visit a 101-year-old grandfather, saying they were "looking forward to enjoying teppanyaki together."
As reported earlier, hundreds of flights delayed, canceled at U.S. San Francisco International Airport.
