TOKYO: The summer holiday exodus began in Japan on Saturday, with rail and expressway operators forecasting heavier congestion than last year, Kyodo News reported.
Traffic jams stretching nearly 20 kilometres (km) clogged the Tomei Expressway and the Kanetsu Expressway around noon, according to the Japan Road Traffic Information Centre.
Expressway operators have said they expect traffic jams of 10 km or longer to occur more frequently during the season than 2025.
Six companies of the Japan Railways Group have seen a 3 percent increase in reservations during the holiday season from Friday to Aug 16.
Airlines have seen a decline in holiday season reservations for both domestic and international flights, with more people choosing to take holidays in September, when a weekend will be followed by three successive national holidays. – BERNAMA-KYODO
