Overview

• Narita Airport logged a peak of 52,500 outbound passengers on August 9 and anticipates 952,800 total Obon movements, a 7.4% increase year-on-year.
• Shinkansen services on the Tokaido, Sanyo, Hokuriku and Tohoku lines enforced all-reserved seating from August 8 to 17, with Nozomi trains selling out and free-seat cars reaching up to 140% occupancy.
• The nationwide return-home rush kicked off on August 9, causing crowded platforms at major stations and over 20 kilometers of congestion on some highways.
• Highway operators project U-turn traffic to peak on August 15–16, with up to 40 kilometers of northbound jams on the Tomei and Shin-Tomei expressways.
• In Hokkaido, domestic airports and stations saw their rush peak on August 9, and airlines forecast the region’s U-turn surge around August 14 with the Hokkaido Shinkansen already at 80% capacity.