Japan's Golden Week's Travel Bug

Above, yours truly at Godaido Temple in Matsushima in 2006.

Millions of Japanese are hitting the airports, train and bus stations to celebrate Golden Week.

I was in Japan during Golden Week back in 2006 and I remember how crowded the train stations got. I took a bullet train (Shinkansen) trip up to Sendai and Matsushima. 

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

Millions of Japanese started their Golden Week holidays by crowding train stations and airports as they headed to their holiday destinations and hometowns.

Overseas travel was out of the question for many people due to the weak yen.

Predictably, JR Tokyo Station was packed to the rafters as people started fleeing the capital April 27 to spend the holiday period with family members and friends.

Travel departures are expected to reach their peak on May 3, with return trips hitting their busiest on May 5 and 6, according to Japan Railway group companies. The Nozomi trains on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines will operate with all seats reserved until May 6.

To read more, go here.

Japan Braces For New Surge In Overtourism

Above, the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the weak yen making Japan travel more attractive, the country is bracing itself for a new surge of overtourism.

It is interesting that ten or more years ago, Japan was trying to get more foreign tourists to visit. Now that they are flocking in, Japan has opened a Pandora's Box. They are having a difficult time in coping with the influx.

This is happening from Kamakura to Kyoto. 

Nikkei Asia posted:

TOKYO -- Major tourist destinations in Japan have been scrambling to prepare for the strain that visitors will put on public transit systems during the upcoming Golden Week holidays, the first since major pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Packed city buses have become a constant in Kyoto. So from April 27 to May 6, the city is calling on riders to make free transfers from the buses to the city-run subway system via special tickets. A rider will need only pay the 230 yen ($1.46) bus fare to take advantage of the service.

In particular, the free subway program aims to decrease the crowding on buses connecting the Kinkakuji temple to Kyoto Station. The route runs through the center of town, and ridership is high even among Kyoto residents alone.

The addition of tourists -- many with bulky luggage in tow -- has led to a critical overcrowding of buses.

For Golden Week, Kyoto is also increasing the frequency of buses connecting Kyoto Station to the Kiyomizudera temple. Buses will make arrivals every three to four minutes. Direct-service buses will launch in June.

To further ease crowding, there will be higher frequencies of buses serving other tourist destinations in Kyoto, such as the Heian-jingu Shrine.

Kamakura, another temple city, has been experiencing a large influx of tourists because it is easily accessible from Tokyo. Crowds of international visitors have milled in front of stations, obstructing foot traffic.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Dropping COVID Border Measures Saturday

Above, a yakatabune (屋形船) party boat on the Sumida River in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has moved up the dropping of COVID border measures from May 8 to this coming Saturday.

According to the Japan Times:

Starting on Saturday, passengers arriving in Japan will no longer be required to submit proof of vaccination or negative test results, according to media reports, as the country braces for an influx of travelers during the Golden Week holidays.

Currently, all incoming passengers — including Japanese nationals and foreign residents — are required to present proof that they have received at least three COVID-19 vaccine shots or have tested negative for the virus within 72 hours before departure.

The government had previously said it planned to end the border measures on May 8, when the category for COVID-19 under the Infectious Disease Law will be downgraded from one similar to Class 2 to Class 5, which is on par with seasonal influenza.

To read more, go here.