Local News

This week’s Obon period is one of Japan’s three major holiday seasons, accompanied by intensive domestic and international travel activities. The 2013 Obon travel period is anticipated to last until August 18th. The West Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO-West) anticipate the afternoon of August 13th to be a peak time for travellers heading south, with traffic expected to be backed up around the Tosu JCT for around 35km. Meanwhile, northern bound travellers can expect the peak of traffic on August 15th around 18:00, especially those using the Hirokawa Interchange (around 25km traffic jam anticipated). NEXCO-West issued a warning to drivers to refrain from using their mobile phones while stuck in traffic, as the probability of a car accident increases for those not concentrating in a traffic jam. Source: http://www.w-nexco.co.jp/traffic_info/guide/