Obon Holiday Return Rush Begins in Japan, Highway Traffic Peaks
Listen to the story
The Obon holiday return rush has begun in Japan. Obon is a traditional summer holiday when people visit their hometowns to see family.
Now that the holiday is ending, many travelers are heading back to the cities where they live and work.
Today marks the peak of highway congestion in the 'up' direction, meaning traffic heading toward major cities like Tokyo.
On the Kanetsu Expressway, one of the roads connecting rural areas to Tokyo, a traffic jam of up to 35 kilometers has formed.
Other highways across the country are also experiencing heavy delays as millions of people return home after the holiday.
While today is the busiest day for road traffic, train and air travel will peak a little later.
Bullet trains, known as Shinkansen, and flights are expected to become most crowded starting from August 15.
This pattern is common every year during Obon. Because so many people travel during the same short period, transportation networks become extremely busy.
Highways see their peak congestion first, since many families drive home right after the holiday ends. Trains and planes tend to fill up a day or two later, as people plan their return trips at different times.
Local authorities and transport companies usually warn travelers in advance about these peak times, encouraging people to avoid the busiest days if possible. However, because Obon is a fixed holiday period, large-scale congestion is difficult to avoid completely.
Vocabulary5 words
- Obon
- a Japanese summer holiday for visiting family
- congestion
- when a road is too full and cars move slowly
- traffic jam
- a long line of cars that cannot move well
- peak
- the busiest or highest point
- bullet trains
- very fast trains in Japan, also called Shinkansen
Quiz
Answer key
1. The return rush after the Obon holiday 2. Highway traffic is at its peak 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The _____ holiday return rush has begun in Japan. Obon is a traditional summer holiday when people visit their hometowns to see family.
Now that the holiday is ending, many travelers are heading back to the cities where they live and work.
Today marks the peak of highway _____ in the 'up' direction, meaning traffic heading toward major cities like Tokyo.
On the Kanetsu Expressway, one of the roads connecting rural areas to Tokyo, a _____ of up to _____ kilometers has formed.
Other highways across the country are also experiencing heavy delays as millions of people return home after the holiday.
While today is the busiest day for road traffic, train and air travel will peak a little later.
_____, known as Shinkansen, and flights are expected to become most crowded starting from August _____.
This pattern is common every year during Obon. Because so many people travel during the same short period, transportation networks become extremely busy.
Highways see their _____ congestion first, since many families drive home right after the holiday ends. Trains and planes tend to fill up a day or two later.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever traveled during a busy holiday period? What was it like?
- Why do you think so many people travel at the same time during holidays like Obon?
- What could governments or companies do to reduce holiday traffic congestion?
- Would you rather travel by car, train, or plane during a busy holiday? Why?