Golden Week holidays get under way in Japan

anyone who gets in a car to go any further than the nearest 7-11 is a masochist.

Like every year we are waiting for the masses to return so we can have our peaceful peaceful holiday half in Japan half in London. Only did the golden week rush once and never again.

Yes, we stay home too during the Golden Week holidays. And the picture makes my heart melted just to see two boys playing amusingly amid blue carp streamers.

Stay at home is a good idea. But if this is the only time off, holiday for a year got to take it with the 99% that just happen to have the same days off. Premium 3 or 4 days Happy times. Might be a rise in consumer spending for this week.

That is a fantastic photo!

As for GW, the trains this morning were worse than rush hour on a business day.

It's a good time to stay home. Tokyo is empty!

That's the problem with this country... Everyone SO excited about a "9 day holiday" - all during the same period - just doesn't make sense... At least in Europe one (usually) gets a whole month holiday when one chooses to go whenever/wherever they please without having to worry about "overcrowded transportation/hotels" etc. but... this is Japan - country securely anchored in its ancient habits...

Aaagh, my namesake!   My apologies for the crowds, traffic jams, the crowds, the high prices, the crowds, ...... I too will stay close to home, GW is just crazy to me!

Golden Week is only Golden for the Travel Companies who charge exhorberent rates, and everyone else putting up prices temporarily. The Traffic Chaos is such a mess, that you would have thought that the Japanese would have invented a better solution,

Might be the perfect opportunity to try cafes & restos which are usually too crowded.

Depends on where you are some areas get more visitors over GW.

We headed to the mountains today, the weather was just too good to stay at home!

what a cool pic!

We visited friends in Shin-Yokohama yesterday (saturday) afternoon and early evening. It was virtually empty. Even the big shopping arcade and shinkansen area seemed so quiet compared to other times we have been there. My youngest even said, "mommy where is everyone?!" I presumed many Japanese have left big cities to visit relatives.

However, it was much busier by contrast when we got back to Tokyo.

A lot of folks have been saying to us they will stay home and save money because they have no money.

I sometimes hear this and then see them a few weeks later to hear they have bought a new Audi sedan or they are going to Cuba at 650,000 yen each.

"mataka", I wish you could see the Homeless "Japanese" people within my area (in Tokyo), Some are unfortunately mentally deficient, many are Elderly, some are middle-aged folk and look as if they've been doing Building site work. All have been let down by Society here. It's very sad. Occassionally I see some Kind Japanese people helping them with food, and money.

I for one, think, and know, that many Japanese Families are not faring well. What you have seen may be a real minority - assuming you really are here in Japan...

The photo, is also bitter sweet... the parents could be saying, you're wearing the clothes your brother had before he disappeared on that fateful day in 2011. Be happy and remember the Brother you sadly will never know.

I just love this picture!! It reminds me of the first visit to japan many years ago, my son was a lot younger then, and I bough a blue 2 meter koi nabori, so for me it bring back a few memories.

For those who think negatively of my Comment, spare a thought towards the reason for the event.

Hundreds of blue carp streamers fly in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, in memory of children killed in the March 2011 tsunami.

My holidays this year: April, July and mid December.

If anything in Japan needs to be reformed it's the ridiculous national holiday system, which limits people's travel opportunities, hits them hard in the pocketbook, bogs down the infrastructure and dampens economic growth by creating a bottle-necked consumption pattern.

Bottleneck economy you mean like Black Friday, Xmas, etc oversead?

But I agree the leave taking needs to be improved here.

Jefflee, in Europe we have the same holiday rush three times a year. Easter, Christmas and New Year. Everything is expensive and anywhere you go it will be packed with people and tourists. It doesn't really change the picture even though people can take their holidays almost whenever. Not that different from GW and New Year in Japan. Not to mention the August exodus in southern Europe...

Plus, even if companies changed their policies it wouldn't help families with kids at all because Japanese kids cannot be 1-2 weeks off from school. In my country, parents would call the teacher and say they will be off for 2 week holidays and it's not an issue.

Sorry, bottleneck economies exist globally 

My in country, we don't have 40 km long traffic jams during the holidays, even though car ownership is at a much higher level than in Japan. We do have holiday peak periods, but the summer holiday, for example, spans over 2 months. In Japan, it's 10 days. Sorry, that's a "bottleneck."

Furthermore, the portion of workers in Japan who basically aren't allowed to chose extended holidays outside the state-designed ones is way, way higher than in Western countries. Me (when I lived there) and all my friends chose our own holidays, rather than having the government doing it for us, as in the case of Japan.

Hence, the need for government reform to create a more flexible arrangements.

Not disagreeimg, back home a 5km traffic jam is big news but our infrastructure is differrent.

The problem goes way deeper.

I think to the Japanese there is a feeling of, I don't know like a pride or feeling of togetherness in doing something at the same time as everyone else. I think they actually like having vacations all at the same time

Yes WeiWei, Japan has New year, Abon and GW, The Australia have Xmas/New-Year, Chocolate week ( Easter ) and the Melbourne Cup long weekend ( A horse race held on the first Tuesday in November ) very busy.

GW! If you aren't having fun, don't worry. I'm planning on having enough for everyone! Cheers!!

Zichi your sort of right, your not supposed to take your kids out of school but you can get fined, but most people see that the holiday is way, way cheaper during team time, then its worth the £100 fine for each child, you can still be better off, because the holliday company hike up the price around holliday time. I think that you go to court if your constantly doing it, time after time and taking you kids out of school all of the time.

In the UK you can't take your kids away from school for a vacation unless it a school holiday and if you do, you'll find yourself facing court time.

Wow, that's crazy, and a little ridiculous. I take my kids out of school for a family trip at least once a year here. In the long term, they're not going to remember the things that would happen at school for that week or two, but they'll remember those times with family, learning about other parts of the world, probably for the rest of their lives.

Golden Week is crowded,expensive and a monumental waste of term not to mention.....stressful!

much better to stay at home!