"Japan historic change" Part 2 : Now, they take vacations !

Shonan Beach, 90 minutes from Tokyo

Crowded with kids and teens

Japan's first-ever "Silver Week" holiday, resulting

from a few days of continued public holidays in

September this year, jammed expressways, flights and

shinkansen bullet trains, crowded with people heading

to their hometowns and resorts under clear skies

almost across the nation.

Respect for Senior Citizens Day on Monday, observed

each year on the third Monday of September, Autumnal

Equinox Day on Wednesday, astronomically determined

but usually observed Sept 23 and the Kokumin no

Kyujitsu holiday added between them on Tuesday

Expressways were congested from the morning, with

vehicles backed up for tens of kilometers on

Expressways. Stations and airports are crowded with

travelers, including families with large bags, with

many people wearing masks as a preventive measure

against the new type of influenza H1N1.

Some choose culture and nourish their leisure time

with philosophy as these tourists I met in Kyoto late

15th century Ryoanji "Temple of the Peaceful Dragon".

The temple's main attraction is its rock garden, the

most famous of its kind in Japan. The simple Zen

garden consist of nothing but rocks, moss and neatly

raked gravel. The meaning of the garden's arrangement

is unknown and up to each visitor's interpretation.

Ryoan-Ji, Kyoto

Others, true fans of Mickey, go to Tokyo Disneyland

with children, many others go back hometown take care

of their parents with such a long spell of holidays in

autumn only this year.

Shonan Beaches are always jammed.

Temperature today: 20 to 27 °C, maybe more.

(Images from raretr. blog)

Good weather announced in many parts of Japan during

Silver Week event though a typhoon flies far south in

the Pacififc ocean, unlikely to approach the Japanese

archipelago, according to the Japan Meteorological

Agency.

See you next week.