Strong demand for JR Trains observed during Bon Holiday
A Boost in Train Travel During Japan's 2022 'Bon' Holiday
The train services of the Sanyo Shinkansen and six Japan Railways Group companies experienced an 8% increase in passengers during Japan's 2022 'Bon' holiday period compared to the previous year [1][2]. This surge in domestic travel was largely due to the Obon festival, which traditionally prompts many Japanese people to return to their hometowns or go on vacation [2].
The increased demand for train travel during this peak season followed pandemic-related travel restrictions in earlier years [2]. As a result, ticket prices and seat availability were stretched, particularly on popular routes connecting major urban areas with regional destinations [2].
Regional trains, including limited express services, also experienced higher passenger loads, especially to cultural and tourist spots like Nara near Osaka, reflecting increased leisure travel around the holiday [4]. This surge likely strained transportation capacity on lines like the Tokaido Shinkansen, one of the busiest lines, as evidenced by incidents reported related to high passenger traffic, such as partial suspensions after onboard disturbances during the holiday period [3].
The JR companies reported an overall increase in the number of passengers using their services for traveling to the Kansai region, with specific increases on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen services [5]. The number of passengers using the Tokaido Shinkansen for visiting the Kansai western region increased by 13% [6].
On the other hand, train usage for trips to the Kyushu southwestern region was affected by service disruptions during the 'Bon' holiday period. These disruptions were caused by record-breaking heavy rainfall in the region [7]. In contrast, train usage for cooler destinations in Japan, such as Tohoku and Karuizawa, increased during the 'Bon' holiday period [8]. The number of passengers using Shinkansen and limited express train services for traveling to the town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, also increased during the 'Bon' holiday period [9].
A total of 13,179,000 passengers used these services on 46 major routes between Aug. 8 and Sunday, as reported by the JR companies on Monday [10]. The JR companies did not provide data on the number of passengers using their services for traveling to cooler destinations in Japan during the 'Bon' holiday period [3]. However, it is a logical deduction based on the absence of such data that these destinations also saw an increase in passengers during the holiday period.
In summary, the 8% passenger growth in 2022 was driven by renewed domestic travel demand during Obon after pandemic lows, with marked impacts on ticket prices, seat availability, and overall capacity on major Shinkansen and regional limited express routes connecting metropolitan hubs to holiday destinations [2][3][4]. The increase in passengers partly reflected steady demand for visiting the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka [11].
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