Summer holiday travelers jam roads, trains, planes

[Ceewan]

Japanese travelers are crowding highways, train stations and airports as they head to their hometowns and leisure spots for the annual "bon" holidays.

The Japan Road Traffic Information Center says at 11 AM on Saturday, outbound traffic on the Tohoku Expressway was backed up for 36 kilometers around the Hanyu parking area in Saitama Prefecture.

It says there is also heavy congestion on the Kan-etsu Expressway and Kyushu Expressway.

The congestion in some places is expected to continue until Saturday evening.

Japan Railways Group companies say occupancy for non-reserved seats on one Shinkansen bullet train service from Nagoya to Hakata was 170 percent, and another from Tokyo to Hakata 130 percent.

Reserved seating on outbound trains on the Hokkaido Shinkansen line is nearly fully booked throughout the day.

Amid the congestion, an electricity blackout forced an inbound train on the Tohoku Shinkansen line to stop temporarily in the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi.

East Japan Railway Company suspended services between Sendai Station and Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, but resumed operations at 8:20 AM after power was restored.

Some routes for domestic flights out of Tokyo and Osaka on Saturday are fully booked, including those headed to the southern prefecture of Okinawa.

 

[Ceewan]

Summer holiday return rush peaks


Many people in Japan are returning to major cities on Sunday after visiting hometowns and resorts during the "bon" summer holidays.

The Japan Road Traffic Information Center says inbound traffic heading for the Tokyo Metropolitan area on the Tohoku Expressway was backed up near the Kuki Interchange in Saitama Prefecture for about 44 kilometers as of 6 PM. The congestion on highways is expected to continue until early Monday morning.

Shinkansen operators say there was an occupancy rate of 180 percent on one bullet train from Niigata to Tokyo. The rate was 110 percent on a train from Shin-Osaka to the capital.

Airlines say many domestic flights to Tokyo and Osaka are fully booked on Sunday.

 

[Ceewan]

Spiritual send-off event in Nagasaki


People in the western Japanese prefecture of Nagasaki have sent off the spirits of their loved ones at an annual summer festival.

The "Shoro Nagashi" ceremonies are held throughout the prefecture on August 15th, the last day of the Bon Buddhist festival, to honor those who died in the past year.

In the city of Nagasaki, mourners paraded "spirit boats" of various sizes through the streets to the harbor. Some of them measured more than 10 meters in length. They were accompanied by the sounds of firecrackers and gongs.

The boats were decorated with colorful flowers and lanterns, as well as photographs of the deceased and their favorite items.

A 36-year-old man from Tokyo said it was the first time he had attended the festival and that he was impressed by the loudness of the firecrackers.

Police say about 950 boats took part in the various events around the prefecture.