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Fewer domestic travelers seen in Golden Week

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Regarding the data analysis, Hideo Kumano, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute's Economic Research Department, said, "People seem to have opted for short-distance trips amid pressure to save money on leisure," adding people cannot drastically cut spending on electricity and food.

At the least they can vicariously enjoy seeing the inbound tourists whoop it up and Japanese companies clocking record profits on the weak yen.

The Beautiful Japan of Abenomics and New capitalism is Neo-feudalism.

-8 ( +19 / -27 )

So sad that rising prices and higher accommodation fees are hindering domestic travel for Japan residents. Additionally, they likely found it difficult to find an accommodation vacancy because of the influx of foreign tourists.

A month ago when the yen rose above 150/USD and other commenters lamented about the yen’s impact on overseas travel by Japan residents, a certain commenter snobbishly suggested in a Marie Antoinette tone, “Let them travel domestically.”

A month later, even domestic trips do not appear to be an option for many anymore as real wages have now decreased for 24 consecutive months. Terribly unfortunate.

I wish I had an answer to this economic mess.

-13 ( +17 / -30 )

Everyone in my company earns well above average but still little traveled during GW

Prices have exploded also because foreign tourists can afford more due to exchange rate, and domestic tourists are forgotten

companies are getting record profits and it’s hard to believe that foreign goods are too expensive for them, usually most machinery etc is anyway supplied from within Japan

there have to be wage increases, but people need to start going on strike for that in Japan. There is no way around it. The elite will do what they can with their peasants until the peasants start complaining loudly

4 ( +13 / -9 )

3 reasons at a glance: Destinations are full of foreign visitors; Money is tight; Flu season hit right on Golden week.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

It ain’t rocket science. If you live in Japan, then most of us are getting poorer every year. When will it stop?

-6 ( +10 / -16 )

Yeah prices skyrocketed due to the weak YEN.

I gave up on travelling during the Golden Week as there are just too many tourists.

Companies can have foreigners money, but please don't come back when this OVER TOURISM rush will be over and all those companies will be left will local demand and high prices.

I bet they will go straight to the government for some allowance or aid.

Like Kyoto, what the city of Kyoto will do with all those hotels after the TOURIST rush will be over?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

many residents of Japan refrained from traveling far from home amid rising prices, private sector data shows.

Which good, Japanese just don't live beyond their budget. No need to spend extra if you don't have more money.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

This year the calendar want great

3 days off, 3 days work, 4 days off

I'm sure that was a factor

14 ( +16 / -2 )

We usually don't go anywhere during holidays. Too crowded. We even avoid many activities on weekends to avoid the crowds. Shopping malls, Costco, parks, movies, restaurants (except lunch hour) are so much better on weekdays. I'm glad we are in a position to choose. I feel for those who cannot, and are stuck in traffic or crowded trains, etc on weekends and holidays.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

With continued price rises for over a year, it is to be expected that Japanese might not be travelling much over GW.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I feel increasingly sorry for Japanese people. Only a few days holiday at a time but they increasingly cannot afford to travel even at home. Life must be so despairing. No fun, no hope, not much meaning.

-12 ( +6 / -18 )

With a weak yen and price inflation this was not expected?

The company has asked workers to do overtime without saying “overtime” by calling them projects that they realistically cannot be completed during normal working hours.

Kudos to this society though for being patient. There’s no better to communicate that you aren’t happy with the Japanese yen rate than by not spending your money.

The pandemic made us strong! We know how to stay home now

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I remember GW in the late 80s with Japanese paying minor fortunes to fly on JTB tours with JAL and stay in Nikko Hotels somewhere for a few days and do "explosive buying" (Bakugai 爆買) somewhere in SE Asia or even Europe or the US and come back with suitcases full of Louis Vuitton stuff. Their pride was palpable. How things have changed. Now they can't afford to do anything much. It must be dispiriting. Or, thankfully, the young people can't remember such times of hope and joy.

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

Rather than rub salt on the wound, I will say this: everyday Japanese people are not helpless. Japanese people do have power. It's just a matter of taking the first step.

Organize. Unionize. Strike. Protest. Demand higher wages. Demand more flexible time off policies. Demand stricter penalties for companies that enable unpaid overtime and power harassment. Demand an end to wasteful government spending. Demand useful government spending. Demand the government stop subsidizing unprofitable companies, and open up the economy to new domestic and foreign competition. Demand accountability.

Japanese people are capable of acknowledging they have a big problem on their hands, that I can see clearly. Next they need to acknowledge that they are not helpless and stop allowing themselves to be distracted by unimportant controversies or other meaningless affairs. If they can do what I mentioned, then they can correct course and remain a strong, although perhaps not dominant, economy and society. I don't want to see them fail, I want to see them succeed, and I think most people would agree with me.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

A friend of mine worked full time at a certain afterschool place advertised on this site. He gave one month notice and his last day was in mid March. He clocked in over 70 working hours for the month of March and his former company not only didn’t pay him, they sent him a bill for 20,000 yen charging him for two days he took off. I told him to complain to the labor office. But if Japanese companies do the same to Japanese staff, no wonder why nobody takes vacations.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

There is a long history of disaffection in Japan eventually culminating in spontaneous insurrection. Apart from the fear of themselves getting busted for rorting, what keeps the movers and shakers up at night, is this latent and ever present potential for one of these nightmare curve balls to rear up and force concessions. For those who have eyes to see, the barricades are being drawn and the fuse lit.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Of course, it might not be money. It could simply be that, like no longer wanting to go overseas, the people no longer really want to go out much at all. Perhaps everyone is becoming a little more hikikomori in a cultural trend, which, at the level of country as a whole, would be sakoku. I mean to say, covid shutdown seems to have been a relief for many with fewer difficulties about what to do or how to interact.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

carpslidy

Today 08:34 am JST

This year the calendar want great

> 3 days off, 3 days work, 4 days off

> I'm sure that was a factor

That is why my wife and her mother decided not to visit family in Niigata!

It just wasn't worth the expense.

Couldn't actually trave a "week" at most 3 days if even that.

Half a day to get there half a day to return really meant spending money for a hotel far a half day in arriving having 2 full days then leaving the 4th day early as checkout time is morning.

Why bother going?

Especially since the room rates increase during golden week regardless of the yen being high or low!

In reality many companies are using the low yen as an excuse to charge more and this will become apparent once the yen goes up and no one lowers their prices.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The true reason is Price gouging by hotels and other travel businesses.

I was looking at going to Hokkaido on a fishing trip during golden week the place I was going to book raised their rates between 35% and 45% during this period.

That has nothing to do with the weak yen!

Canoe rental, cabine retal, transport to the lake, everything was raise by a minimum of 35% (the canoe rates were doubled).

No surprise to find out they were 80% vacant according to the person I know that works there.

In a normal year they would have been book solid.

I have used thus same place for 20 years and every time golden week comes around they raise the prices but not like this year.

10% to 20% at most.

Now they sent my a 50% off regular price if a travel to go fishing between now and mid July!

Greed it the problem!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

No kidding.....

Try getting rid of the useless "Golden Week" concept, and the rip off prices that come with the "holiday" and have people take vacations at other times of the year.

With lowered prices and less crowds, you'd definitely see more domestic tourists go around Japan.

It's not rocket science at all. It's greed and people that refuse to change that are the problem.

Also, going abroad is not a realistic option at this moment in time.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I work for myself so took the 1st and 2nd off to travel was going to travel further away for more than two nights but hotels were charging double for the 3rd 4th 5th so took a short break locally and worked the 3rd

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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