Let's be sensible: During Golden Week, why on earth would any sane person choose to drive to a destination on the expressway only to spend a good part of their holiday ensnared in a 35-km-long traffic jam? Doing their part to ease the congestion, domestic magazines are offering some imaginative alternatives to let readers enjoy a well-deserved break from work while avoiding the crowds.
If you're a nostalgia buff, for instance, Sunday Mainichi (May 11-18) suggests you take a trip down memory lane to places that have inspired a popular song.
"Nagori Yuki" ("The Snow of our Parting"), initially recorded by male trio Kaguyahime in 1974, became a smash hit the following year for female folk singer "Iruka" (the stage name of Toshie Hosaka).