NARITA, Chiba Pref. (Kyodo) The Bon return rush began Saturday at Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture and Kansai International Airport near Osaka as travelers who went abroad for the summer holidays started heading back.
Smaller airports, as well as bullet trains, regular trains and expressways, also grew crowded as travelers returned to Tokyo after visiting their hometowns or resting at various resorts in Japan.
The rush is expected to continue through Monday at Narita, the main international gateway to Tokyo, and peak Sunday at Kansai airport.
At Narita, about 43,000 travelers were expected to return on Saturday, down some 8,000 from peak time last year, the airport said.
The drop was attributed to the recession, the swine flu pandemic, and travel plans delayed until fall to take advantage of the consecutive public holidays in September.
Chiyoko Watanuki, 57, of Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, said she arrived at Narita after spending four days in Saipan with five family members. "I enjoyed myself swimming in the sea with my grandchildren," she said.
Meanwhile, traffic was heavy on some expressways. Part of the Chuo Expressway got congested as drivers tried to avoid the Tomei Expressway, part of which was closed by damage from Tuesday's earthquake in Shizuoka Prefecture.