The New Year's holiday, which will last up to nine days, began on the 28th. Amid heavy snowfall mainly on the Sea of ​​Japan side due to the cold wave at the end of the year, the rush to return home and the rush to leave the country reached its peak. ■The rush to return home and leave the country reaches its peak There are only three days left in 2024. The year-end sales are heating up in Ameyoko, Ueno... At Naritasan, the traditional bonfire was lit. As things get busier in various places, the rush to leave the country for people to spend the New Year's holidays overseas is reaching its peak. People going to India: "I'm going to India. I'm going to go to the Taj Mahal, see the tigers, and ride elephants." People going to Bali: "I'm going to Bali. I'm going to the pool, staying in a lot of hotels, and eating delicious food." Perhaps because of the maximum nine-day holiday, approximately 90,000 people will leave for overseas destinations at Haneda Airport and Narita Airport on the 28th alone. Meanwhile, the peak for domestic flights is on the 28th for Japan Airlines and on the 31st for All Nippon Airways. On the trains, it seems that congestion is not just due to the rush of people returning home from other parts of Japan. The Shinkansen platform at JR Okayama Station is also quite crowded around the ticket gates due to train delays. A high school teacher travelling from Okayama to Tokyo said, "I'm going to Tokyo to perform as part of a club activity at school. I was a bit surprised. I never thought it would be delayed, so I only found out when I got here." According to JR West, due to a fire along the tracks, the Sanyo Shinkansen suspended operations on some sections for about an hour from around 7 am on the 28th. The impact temporarily extended to the Shin-Osaka-Hiroshima section, with stations crowded with people requesting to change their reserved seats. Announcement: "Nozomi trains are almost full. We may not be able to change trains." Osaka to Tokyo: "I wanted to get to Shinagawa by 12 o'clock. The trains aren't even showing up, so I don't know how many hours late they'll be." Hiroshima to Osaka: "I want to get back somehow, but it's up to JR. Really. I hope they do their best." The Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines will be at their peak of congestion on the 28th, while JR East Shinkansen lines in Tohoku and other areas will be at their peak on the 30th. ■ "Year-end cold wave" brings the biggest snowfall of the season Children are looking forward to the snow, but on the 28th, a heavy snow countermeasure headquarters was set up in Aomori City, where the snowfall exceeded 90 centimeters, for the first time in two years. Due to the year-end cold wave, northern and eastern Japan saw the biggest snowfall of the season. A man shoveling snow: "(Q: Is it unusual for it to snow this much in December?) Yes, it's unusual. The earth has changed. It's changed." "(Q: Is it hard when it snows this much?) It's hard. I'm 74 years old and I'm pushing myself to do my best." The 28th is also the peak day for congestion on the outbound expressway, and traffic may be affected by the stronger snow and wind. In addition, you need to be careful of unexpected accidents such as slipping due to snow and snow from the roof falling on the windshield while driving. Snow also fell in Kyushu and Shikoku in the morning, and Sakurajima in Kagoshima was also covered in snow. 1 cm of snow was observed in Kumakogen Town, Ehime Prefecture. A visitor: "I don't get many opportunities to see (snow), so I think it's really beautiful." 2025 will be the year of the snake. Long lines are expected to form again next year at the zodiac handover ceremony held at the zodiac sign handover ceremony. [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp