Heavy traffic is expected on highways this weekend, with the public holiday 山の日 (yama no hi, Mountain Day) on Aug. 11 and the following お盆休み (o-Bon yasumi, Bon holiday) from Aug. 13 to 16.

今年は最大9連休が可能なため、帰省や旅行による交通機関の混雑が長期化するかもしれません (Kotoshi wa saidai kyū renkyū ga kanōna tame, kisei ya ryokō ni yoru kōtsū kikan no konzatsu ga chōkika suru kamo shiremasen, As people can take a maximum of nine consecutive days off this year, congestion on transportation routes due to homecoming and traveling might last a while).

混雑 (Konzatsu, Congestion), 人混み (hitogomi, crowds) and 渋滞 (jūtai, traffic jam) are inevitable this vacation season. Naturally, the intransitive verb 混む (komu, to be crowded) will also pop up often, as in, どこも混んでるね (Doko mo konderu ne, Everywhere is packed) and 道が混む前に出かけよう (Michi ga komu mae ni dekakeyō, Let’s go out before the roads get busy).