Golden Week Holiday Traffic Clogs Japan’s Expressways

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:16 JST, May 3, 2023

The second half of the Golden Week holiday period began Wednesday with traffic jams occurring on expressways around the nation in the morning.

Long lines of cars were seen on outbound lanes in the Kanto region at 10 a.m., according to the Japan Road Traffic Information Center.

Cars were stuck in a 40-kilometer traffic jam on the Tohoku Expressway, starting near the Hanyu Parking Area in Hanyu, Saitama Prefecture. Traffic was congested for 33 kilometers on the Tomei Expressway, starting in the area between the Isehara Junction in Isehara and the Hadano-Nakai Interchange in Hadano, both in Kanagawa Prefecture.

A 31-kilometer traffic jam was seen on the Chuo Expressway, starting near Kobotoke Tunnel connecting Hachioji, Tokyo, and Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. And on the Kanetsu Expressway, cars were stuck in a 29-kilometer traffic jam, starting near the Takasaka rest area in Higashi-Matsuyama, Saitama Prefecture.