The Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Nagoya resumed normal service on Saturday after being suspended due to a strong typhoon, with stations crowded with travelers returning from their Bon summer vacation.
Operator JR Central said it would add additional trains on its Tokaido Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in the morning to cope with high passenger volumes.
On Friday, the company canceled all bullet trains between Tokyo and Nagoya, one of the busiest sections of the country’s high-speed rail network, citing concerns about heavy rain and strong winds caused by Typhoon Ampil.
A crowd is seen at JR Tokyo Station on August 17, 2024, as the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train resumes service after a suspension due to an approaching typhoon. (Kyodo)
Operations of some bullet trains on parts of the Tohoku, Joetsu, Yamagata and other lines also returned to normal on Saturday after the typhoon retreated from the Tokyo area and the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan.
Tokyo Station was flooded with people wanting to travel on the Shinkansen in the morning.
A 41-year-old man from Saitama near Tokyo was supposed to fly to the western Japanese region of Shikoku with his family on Friday, but had to change to the train after the flight was cancelled.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways said they had canceled hundreds of international and domestic flights to and from Haneda and Narita airports east of the capital in Tokyo.
“I was worried the trains wouldn’t run again today, so I’m just relieved they’re running,” he said. “It was difficult to rebook our accommodation and get seats on the Shinkansen.”
Nagoya Station was also crowded. Tokyo resident Yasuhiko Nishiguchi said he was unable to return home on Friday. He said he was in a similar situation last year when heavy rain hit Shizuoka Prefecture and made sure he had enough time to deal with the train cancellations.
The rush of holidaymakers also came on the first weekend since the government withdrew a week-long warning of a possible megaquake on the Pacific coast to improve earthquake preparedness. The warning was officially lifted on Thursday after no new major seismic activity was recorded near the Nankai Trough.
Following the August 8 warning, hotels and ryokan (Japanese inns) in coastal areas of central and western Japan were hit by hundreds of cancellations.
Related coverage:
Strong typhoon passes east of Tokyo and disrupts holiday travel
Tokyo-Nagoya Shinkansen to be suspended on August 16 as typhoon approaches eastern Japan
