Japan's summer holidays in full swing with lack of COVID restrictions

Japan's summer holiday season started in full swing on Thursday, with reservations for domestic trains and flights leaving Tokyo reaching a peak as travelers took advantage of a lack of coronavirus restrictions for the first time in three years. While more people headed abroad for their break, numbers are nevertheless far below the pre-COVID-19 era as new cases across the country remain elevated, hitting record highs in recent weeks. At Haneda Airport in Tokyo, a long line of masked passengers waited at one of the security checkpoints for domestic flights. According to All Nippon Airways, most outbound flights were also fully booked in the morning. The international lobby of Narita Airport, east of Tokyo, was also packed with travelers. Reservations for domestic flights operated by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are at about 80% of passenger levels in 2019.<br/>