Dec 30 (NHK) - The rush of year-end travelers headed for hometowns or vacations is hitting its peak on Wednesday in Japan.
Airports and train stations are less crowded than a usual holiday season but busier than last year when the coronavirus pandemic caused the number of travelers to plunge.
Tokyo's Haneda Airport was bustling from early in the morning. Long lines formed at facilities offering PCR and antigen tests as people had made reservations to be tested before boarding.
A woman heading to her hometown in the northern prefecture of Aomori said she was getting tested just in case, to keep her family safe.
A woman who is going to visit her family in the southwestern prefecture of Oita said she had been planning the trip since before the spread of the Omicron variant. She said she wanted to make sure she wasn't infected before heading to her hometown.
Airlines are calling on passengers to take thorough anti-virus measures, including wearing face masks and maintaining sufficient distance in lines.
They said domestic flights departing from Tokyo or Osaka are near full capacity throughout Wednesday.
