The just-ended Golden Week holiday period saw 10.31 million people ride shinkansen and other express trains operated by the Japan Railway group, up 22 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by six JR group carriers Monday.
East Japan Railway Co. reported a 47 percent jump in passenger numbers to 3.83 million during the period from April 27 through Sunday.
The increase reflects progress in reconstruction from the March 11, 2011, quake and tsunami catastrophe in the Tohoku region as well as the return of full services on the Tohoku shinkansen line throughout its route from Tokyo to Shin-aomori station, a Jr East official said.
The Tokaido shinkansen line of Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) carried 2.93 million passengers, up 14 percent. Passengers using Narita Airport station were up 61 percent to 45,000, and those using Maihama station, the gateway for Tokyo Disney Resort, surged 17 percent To 562,000.