Tomorrow marks the start of Golden Week, a cluster of Japanese holidays that usually fall near each other. In theory, the holiday week should provide a relaxing break for overstressed Japanese families, but for one problem: the other 127 million people in Japan all have the week off, too, so attempting to go to Tokyo Disneyland or the trendy tourist town of Karuizawa will result in crowding and traffic jams so terrible you’d happily commit hara-kiri rather than face them. This year the holidays are extra long thanks to the convenient arrangement of the calendar, and it’s hoped that the additional days of leisure will provide a boost to the local economy as people get out and spend money. If you live in a city popular with tourists, don’t be surprised if you notice an influx of Japanese this week, as an estimated 580,000 tourists are scheduled to leave Japan and head overseas.
Many Japanese will travel abroad for Golden Week.
