JAPAN

Japan's summer holidays in full swing with lack of COVID-19 restrictions

A platform at JR Tokyo Station is crowded on Thursday as many travelers head to their hometowns or resorts for the Bon holidays in the first restriction-free summer since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. | KYODO

Kyodo

Aug 11, 2022

Japan's summer holiday season started in full swing on Thursday, with reservations for domestic trains and flights leaving Tokyo reaching a peak as travelers took advantage of a lack of coronavirus restrictions for the first time in three years.

While more people headed abroad for their break, numbers are nevertheless far below the pre-COVID-19 era as new cases across the country remain elevated, hitting record highs in recent weeks.

Families flooded JR Tokyo Station, where Natsuki Kato, who was heading to Hiroshima Prefecture, said, "I want to avoid crowds for my three kids, and let them experience the country life as much as I can."

Japan's summer holidays in full swing with lack of COVID-19 restrictions

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