Tokyo-bound trains, airplanes and expressways were crowded Saturday with travelers as the rush of people returning from their summer vacations peaked.
Almost all seats were booked aboard Tokyo-bound bullet trains on the Tokaido, Tohoku, Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen lines.
Tokyo-bound Hikari 112 from Hiroshima was at 110 percent capacity at Shin-Osaka Station shortly after 9 a.m.
Domestic flights heading to Tokyo were also fully booked, according to airlines.
About 48,000 Japanese arrived aboard international flights at Narita airport on Saturday, while an estimated 49,000 more -- mostly vacationers -- will arrive Sunday, according to the New Tokyo International Airport Authority.
Congestion on expressways was not serious in most areas, but a 14.5-km queue was reported around the Kyoto South interchange on the Nagoya-Kobe Expressway.
Many companies in Japan give employees time off around mid-August to coincide with the observance of Bon, the Buddhist holiday to pray for the repose of the souls of ancestors. It is one of the biggest traditional events during the year, along with New Year's.
Employees in Tokyo planned to take an average of six days off for their summer holidays, with many heading to their hometowns or resort areas, the labor ministry said earlier.
