“Golden week” is a Japanese holiday period starting from the end of April to the beginning of May and one of the longest vacation period for the hard-working Japanese. But where would be the best place to visit? LISTEN to the travel analyst for travel tips.

This year’s Golden Week holiday is divided into two parts. If you take three days off, you can have a maximum 10-day holiday. Toriumi Kotaro, an aviation and travel analyst who is well versed in the travel industry, recommended spots and tourist destinations that you can still visit in time.
 

Anchor Mori Keisuke: Some people may be looking forward to Golden Week. Regarding this year’s Golden Week, we will be talking with Toriumi Kotaro, an aviation and travel analyst who is well versed in the travel industry.　First, let’s take a look at the calendar for this year’s Golden Week. The holiday period is divided into two parts. First, the first haff is a three-day holiday from Saturday, April 27 to Monday, April 29.  There are three weekdays, and then a four-day holiday from May 3. If you can take these three weekdays off, you can have a maximum 10-day holiday.Suzue-san, it is difficult for us to take a day off, isn’t it?

Anchor Suzue Nana: Yes, let’s work hard at our jobs.

Mori: She sounds like she loves to work.Toriumi-san, what are the travel trends for this year?

Toriumi: As for the travel trend, it seems that the latter 4-day holiday, from May 3 to 4, is more popular. If you are going to make a reservation from now on, it may be easier to get the first 3 days, April 27-29.  After all, if there are two days between holidays, some people may take a day off and go overseas, but if there are 3 days, it may be rather difficult to take a day off.

Mori: Three days are quite a lot…. Since we are happy with a 3-day holiday, I’m afraid it would be quite difficult to add another 3-day holiday here.

Toriumi; Yes, I think there are fewer people who can take a 5-day holiday by taking a day off on the 2^nd, the day before May 3, or take a day off from April 27 to May 6 than in normal years.

 

Mori: Are there any other trends?

Toriumi: Since the holidays are spread out, I think there will be more short-distance travel. Another thing is that Golden Week usually comes when cherry blossoms are gone, but this year they are late. It is said that they are about two weeks late, so there is a movement to think about Golden Week now that cherry blossoms are over, so I think the start of reservations is slower than usual.
Mori: It’s interesting how the cherry blossoms can change travel plans for Golden Week.

Toriumi: Everyone is so preoccupied with cherry blossoms until they bloom.

Mori: I’m sure everyone wants to enjoy it to the fullest, but looking at this year’s calendar, what are some of the days that Toriumi-san thinks are good to aim for?

Toriumi: The first half is also good, but on the other hand, many people work during the three days between April 30 and May 2, so it is surprisingly easy to get flights and shinkansen tickets.

Mori: If you can take days off here...For those who can take days off, we will tell you useful tips about travel. Then, how many people are thinking of going on a trip during Golden Week?

Mori: According to a survey by JTB about how many people are thinking of going on a trip during this year’s Golden Week?  The survey found that 26.5% of the total, or more than a quarter, said they intend to travel during Golden Week. Jinnai-san, do you think of this?

Jinnai Kimiko: I feel it’s surprisingly a little.

Suzue: I think so, too.

Mori: It has recovered to about the same level as before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.

Suzue: So, it has recovered.

Mori: Saito-san, have you already decided on your plans for Golden Week?

Saito Yuki: Of course, I have work to do, but just thinking of Golden Week makes me feel good.

Mori: Yes. So, how many days off do you actually have?

Saito: None.

Mori: No days off. What about you, Jinnai-san?

Jinnai: I haven’t thought about it at all. There is news every.

Mori: Yes, every.

Suzue: Everyday every.

Mori: Do you have any recommended travel destinations for people who want to travel but haven’t decided where to do yet?

Toriumi: Yes, they are Morioka in Iwate Prefecture and Hokkaido. As for Hokkaido, snow melts early this year. Saito-san was with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, he knows it.

Saito: That’s right.

Toriumi: Hokkaido in April is usually cold and snowy, and not a very good time for sightseeing. But this year even Sapporo is snow-free. Also, cherry blossoms at Hakodate’s Goryokaku are expected to be in full bloom around the first three days of Golden Week. So, I think Hokkaido is a good place to go this year.

Then, as a place you might want to go to on the spur of the moment, I recommend Morioka in Iwate Prefecture. The Shinkansen Hayabusa and other trains have all reserved seats. But the Yamabiko has free seats, so you can go whenever you feel like it. Also, Morioka was selected as one of the 52 Places to Go in 2023 by the New York Times. You can eat wanko soba noodels, and jajangmyeon, which are often called the three major noodles, and there is a retro building of the Iwate Bank, and modern and stylish cafes are merged, so I think it’s a good place to go for a casual visit.

Mori: When Torium-san says that, I feel like going right away. I hear there is another place you would highly recommend besides Hokkaido and Morioka?

Toriumi: My top recommendation is Fukui Prefecture central Japan. There are good hot springs, such as Awara Onsen where anchor Fujii Takahiko went in March, and I also went to Fukui three times in March for interviews. I would also like you to visit the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Also, Tojinbo cliffs and Eiheiji temple, which are often seen in dramas, are great places to visit. This time, the opening of the Shinkansen has made it possible to travel by Shinkansen, which is still not crowded,  and the Dinosaur Museum is an indoor facility, so you can enjoy it even on a rainy day.
 And thanks to the opening of the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, Awara Onsen, Fukui Prefecture is great, you can get there in 2 hours and 51 minutes. You can go three without changing trains, and I’ve stayed at Awara Onsen myself, and it has a very good facility hot spring and a footbath, so it’s a great place to enjoy. There are still some accommodations available, so I would like you to take your time and relax there.

Mori: For those with children, how to entertain them is a very important point, but there is also a dinosaur museum that dinosaur lovers will like. Fukui Prefecture is recommended, but do you have any special information about access?

Torium: By purchasing tickets early with the “e-ticket early special 14,” the price JR East or JR West website up to 2 weeks in advance, you can go to Fukui for as low as 19,300-yen one way. It tends to be quite full on holidays, but there are some trains that are partially empty on weekdays between April 30 and May 2, so it might be a good idea to aim for those.

Mori: So, it’s still in time.

Toriumi: Yes.

Priority boarding with advance reservation: Hakone cable car and ropeway 

Mori: Since it is crowded everywhere during Golden Week, efforts are being made. When it comes to major tourist destinations in Kanagawa Prefecture, Hakone comes to mind, and a demonstration experiment is being conducted. According toe Odakyu Hakone, on days when congestion is expected during Golden Week, some cable cars and ropeways will be available for priority boarding by making a reservation on the website in advance.

Also nemophila is beautiful at this time of year. When it comes to nemophila, Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture is the place to go in the Kanto region, but while the park usually opens at 9:30 a.m., it will open two and a half hours earlier during the Golden Week, at 7:00 a.m. It take about two hours by car from the central Tokyo, so if you leave at 5:00 a.m., you will make it in time for the opening.

Toriumi: If you wake up early, you are sure to get in.

Mori: Golden Week is spread out, so the idea is to get up a little earlier and enjoy it.