No one goes out in Japan no more. It’s too crowded.
It’s summer again, and very soon all students will have about a month of freedom away from their school walls to go out into the world and explore. That’s why I tell my kids that exploring the world is highly overrated. I mean, have you seen prices of just about everything these days?
And according to a survey by insurance company Nippon Life, I’m not alone. The company asked people how they plan to spend their summer vacation and a whopping 48.4 percent responded that they would stay home or go to places in their general area.
▼ Why go out to a sauna when you can just recreate the magic at home?
Domestic travel requiring overnight stays was a distant second with 16.3 percent, and going on nearby day trips was third with 10.2 percent. The top five was rounded out with returning to one’s hometown (9.6 percent) and going abroad (3.2 percent) in fourth and fifth respectively.
The rather low percentage of people returning to their hometowns is perhaps most surprising, as the August Obon holidays are traditionally a time for family to gather. Nippon Life also found that the average budget was 58,000 yen (US$366), and at current fares for trains, buses, and planes, a family of four might have trouble pulling it off, depending on the distance.
▼ Just as a frame of reference I quickly looked up fares for a one-way trip from Osaka to Gunma, which are moderately far apart. These are all per person (except for driving) and since this is a peak time, only the higher numbers should be considered.
According to online comments about the survey, while money is a big factor, it’s hardly the only factor keeping people in Japan at home this summer.
“It’s too hot to go out. The kids are better off in an air-conditioned school.”
“Even in the Hokkaido resorts it’s 34 degrees and bears have been sighted.”
“Japanese people are getting poorer and foreign tourists are increasing. So, it’s too expensive and too crowded to go anywhere.”
“I live near a tourist area, so I’m not even leaving the house.”
“I’m single and it’s too expensive during Obon. I can’t imagine what a family of four would do.”
“I usually take my kids to the pool, but now there’s so many people it’s like a heated pool.”
“Is there really any need to go places anyway?”
“The whole idea we should go away for vacation is a myth propagated by the media.”
“This might sound strange, but I feel more cramped outside than at home.”
“In this heat, spending just 10 minutes outside is exhausting.”
So, it would appear that everything sucks outside if you live in Japan, and most people are opting to stay home and save their money for something more worthwhile, like luxury sparklers and/or booze.
Source: TV Asahi News, Hachima Kiko
Photos ©SoraNews24
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