The summer vacation exodus peaked Saturday at the main international airports in the Osaka and Tokyo areas amid heightened security following a recent failed terrorist attack plan in Britain.
People going back to their hometowns for the Bon midsummer holidays also jammed roads and railway stations.
Kansai International Airport in the bay off Osaka saw long lines of passengers waiting for tighter carry-on baggage inspections, following Thursday's revelation of a terrorist plan to blow up airlines with liquid explosives.