Japan's Golden Week 2024 Ends how crowded was it
Japan's Golden Week 2024 Ends how crowded was it
Overview
In this video, John Daub recaps the end of Golden Week 2024 from Tokyo Station on May 6th. He discusses the intense crowds experienced across Japan during the holiday period, contrasting the chaos with his family's strategy of staying home until prices and crowds subside. John analyzes news reports covering traffic jams, packed tourist spots, and the overtourism issues plaguing popular locations like Kawaguchiko.
The video serves as both a travel report and a guide for future visitors. John highlights specific locations that were overwhelmed, including Kyoto's temples, the Tottori Sand Dunes, and service areas on the Tohoku Highway. He offers practical advice on timing visits, using reserved Shinkansen seats, and avoiding dangerous behavior at photogenic spots.
John also shares personal updates, including plans for his own family trip now that the holiday rush is over, and a look at local Tokyo activities like Boys' Day preparations and fire boat training. The episode concludes with a friendly interaction with fans at Tokyo Station and an invitation to his Patreon live streams.
Highlights
- 00:00:00 John opens at Tokyo Station on the final day of Golden Week.
- 00:00:33 Hotel prices in Shirakawa-go were tripled during the holiday.
- 00:01:05 Reserved seats on the Nozomi Shinkansen prevented standing room chaos.
- 00:02:39 Spa Resort Hawaiians saw water slide lines up to two hours long.
- 00:04:13 Peter von Gomm once experienced an eight-hour drive from Nagano to Tokyo.
- 00:05:43 Advice for visiting Kyoto: arrive before 9 a.m. to beat crowds.
- 00:07:07 Foreigners lined up for Enoden train photos in Kamakura.
- 00:09:25 Overtourism chaos at the Kawaguchiko Lawson with Mount Fuji view.
- 00:12:21 The city is building a wall to prevent dangerous jaywalking at Kawaguchiko.
- 00:14:14 John took Leo to Odaiba and saw kabuto (samurai helmets) for Boys' Day.
- 00:15:44 Patreon Q&A and trip planning sessions announced.
- 00:17:02 John interacts with fans from Canada at Tokyo Station.
- 00:17:46 Closing remarks and invitation to the next live stream.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction at Tokyo Station
- 00:33 Golden Week Dates and Hotel Prices
- 01:05 Shinkansen Crowds and News Reports
- 02:39 Domestic Travel Chaos (Highways and Water Parks)
- 04:13 Traffic Jams and Tourist Spot Lines
- 05:43 Kyoto Temple Crowds and Timing Tips
- 07:07 Enoshima and Kamakura Anime Locations
- 09:25 Kawaguchiko Overtourism Issues
- 12:21 Safety Measures at Kawaguchiko
- 14:14 Local Tokyo Activities (Boys' Day and Fire Boats)
- 15:44 Patreon and Live Stream Info
- 17:02 Fan Interactions and Outro
Japan Travel Tips
- Timing is Everything: Hotel prices can triple during Golden Week. Travel just after the holiday ends (e.g., May 6th onwards) for normal rates.
- Shinkansen Reservations: During peak times, reserve seats on the Nozomi Tokaido line to avoid standing room only chaos.
- Kyoto Strategy: Visit popular temples like Kiyomizudera early. The sun rises at 5 a.m.; take advantage of the four hours before 9 a.m. when crowds are lighter.
- Walking vs. Riding: In peak tourist areas like Kamakura, walking might be faster than waiting for trains or buses.
- Safety First: Do not jaywalk for photos, especially at spots like Kawaguchiko. Traffic moves fast, and locals are frustrated by dangerous behavior.
- Trash Etiquette: Japan lacks public trash cans. Carry your trash with you to avoid contributing to overtourism waste issues.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Golden Week: A series of national holidays from late April to early May (April 29th to May 5th officially). It is one of the busiest travel periods in Japan.
- Enyasu: Refers to the weak yen, making overseas travel costly for Japanese citizens, leading to more domestic travel during holidays.
- Matsuri: Festivals. In Fukuoka, buses flew flags for Constitution Day, creating a patriotic atmosphere.
- Kabuto: Samurai helmets displayed for Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day), celebrated during Golden Week.
- Enoden: The Enoshima Electric Railway, famous for appearing in anime and manga, drawing international fans.
- Konnichiwa / Matane: Common greetings used by John to interact with fans (Hello / See ya).
Food & Drink Guide
- Ramen: Observed inside Tokyo Station. John notes that despite the holiday, some spots inside the station were manageable.
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. Provides analysis on crowds, shares personal family plans, and interacts with fans.
- Kanae Daub: John's wife. Mentioned as staying home during Golden Week and planning a trip afterwards.
- Leo: John's son. Accompanied John to local Tokyo spots like Odaiba and Toys R Us.
- Peter von Gomm: John's friend. Mentioned regarding a past experience of an eight-hour traffic jam from Nagano.
- Fans: Canadians encountered at Tokyo Station who stopped for a photo.
Key Takeaways
- Golden Week 2024 was exceptionally crowded due to warm weather and the weak yen keeping travelers domestic.
- Overtourism is causing safety issues and local friction, particularly at the Kawaguchiko Lawson.
- Strategic timing (early morning or post-holiday) significantly improves the travel experience.
- Reserved transport tickets are essential during peak national holidays.
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:33 "Hotel prices are typically three times more expensive... Timing is everything."
- 00:04:13 "Peter von Gomm once said he was eight hours on the highway from Nagano to Tokyo one Golden Week."
- 00:05:43 "Take advantage of those four hours before 9 a.m. at 24-hour spots, then nap and use jet lag."
- 00:07:07 "I don't get it—I tried filming that Lawson's with Mount Fuji. Lines are long, so expect crowds."
- 00:09:25 "You've been warned—it's extremely busy, but don't stay away."
- 00:12:21 "Someone's going to get hit at 40 km/h speed limit."
- 00:14:14 "Perfect Golden Week: stay home, local spots with few people, relax. Then strike when workers return."
- 00:17:46 "Golden Week is done—time for summer. Matane."
Related Topics
- Overtourism in Japan
- Golden Week Travel Planning
- Tokyo Station Guide
- Kawaguchiko Mount Fuji Viewing
- Kyoto Temple Visits
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tokyo #golden-week #travel-tips #kawaguchiko #mount-fuji #kyoto #shinkansen #tourism #japan-travel #john-daub #tokyo-station #crowds #overtourism
Full Transcript
00:00:00 John Daub: Welcome to Tokyo Station. This is the final day, Monday, May 6th of Golden Week. It's quite busy in here, as you would expect. Golden Week also marks the start of summer for me. I got my blue shades on to make everything a little cooler. It's an overcast day today, unlike the last couple of days. But this is significant because the crowds finally go away as soon as Tuesday starts. People go back to work, things settle down, and prices return to normal.
00:00:33 John Daub: Me, Kanae, and Leo—my wife and son—will be going on our holidays. We timed this right. Hotel prices are typically three times more expensive—at least this year, I looked online—by $500 for two nights at a really nice hotel in Shirakawa-go (white river village). Timing is everything. But for those who can only travel during Golden Week, you can't go wrong. If you're looking at the 2025 schedule, it's the same as this year: April 29th to May 5th. Sometimes the first and second days after keep going, but those are the official dates.
00:01:05 John Daub: Inside the station right now, it's not too crowded. I think more people are coming back into the cities from the airports in a couple of hours, peaking around 4 p.m. as everyone gets Shinkansen tickets home. This year, the Nozomi Shinkansen on the Tokaido line had all reserved seats until today to avoid standing room only and chaos. Look at that bowl of ramen—it's not too bad right now. The airports are crowded, but Japanese news is focusing on the Golden Week experience for 2024: highways, hotels, tourist spots. My family stayed home, kept a low profile, and we're getting ready for our big time in a couple days.
00:02:39 John Daub: Japanese news showed service areas like Takasaki with 26 kilometers backed up, busy airports with people returning, and enyasu (weak yen) making overseas trips costly for Japanese citizens. Many stayed domestic. In Iwaki City, Fukushima, at Spa Resort Hawaiians (water park), lines for water slides were 30-120 minutes—two hours! It was a very warm Golden Week, so families with dads home from their 9-to-5 jobs got out. This Tohoku Highway parking area (service area with restaurants) was packed.
00:04:13 John Daub: Traffic back into Tokyo was bad—Peter von Gomm once said he was eight hours on the highway from Nagano to Tokyo one Golden Week. From Nagano, it was 40 kilometers backed up. Shinkansen platforms were busy but less than past years due to reserved tickets on the Tokaido line. Even in Tottori Sand Dunes (one of Japan's three great views), lines to take pictures with camels rivaled Tokyo Disneyland. It's surreal, like the Arabian desert. People came because it's less crowded than Disneyland.
00:05:43 John Daub: In Fukuoka, matsuri (festivals) were on, and it was Constitution Day—buses had flags, a patriotic time. In Kyoto, lines for Kiyomizudera (pure water temple) and Kinkakuji (golden pavilion) were heavy with Japanese and international tourists—not a good time to be there. Ninenzaka (two-year hill street) was completely packed, especially over the weekend. Toji pagoda (visible from Shinkansen) is better early morning—the sun rises at 5 a.m. in the land of the rising sun. Take advantage of those four hours before 9 a.m. at 24-hour spots, then nap and use jet lag.
00:07:07 John Daub: Enoshima and Kamakura were busy for domestic tourists, but foreigners lined up for photos of the Enoden train (electric line) by the sea from some anime or manga. I don't get it—I tried filming that Lawson's with Mount Fuji. Lines are long, so expect crowds. Many just walk it—it's a 45-minute walk. Japanese news interviewed Italians walking instead of riding; they said tourism in Italy (Rome, Venice) is worse—Venice even charges entry now. Walking is the best way at peak times, especially on sunny days like this week.
00:09:25 John Daub: You've been warned—it's extremely busy, but don't stay away. Over-tourism created trash issues since Japan lacks trash cans everywhere. At Kawaguchiko Lawson's with Mount Fuji view (famous from Instagram), it was chaos—even when Fuji was blocked, tourists came. When Fuji appeared, it was rabid: people jaywalking like in India, ignoring traffic, climbing signs. Lawson's staff had to shoo them; locals avoid it, hurting business. The dentist across the street loves tourists but worries about safety—it's impacted patients.
00:12:21 John Daub: The city is building a wall to block jaywalking—crosswalk's just 10 seconds away. It's every day since November 2022 tourism restart, worse in Golden Week with no monitors at lunch. Someone's going to get hit at 40 km/h speed limit. We saw some for Leo and me—I was even in the newscast background filming chaos as Fuji peeked out.
00:14:14 John Daub: I took Leo out locally: Toys R Us, Odaiba shopping malls, kabuto (samurai helmets) for Boys' Day—80,000 yen ($600), we'll wait till he's older. In Toyosu (fish market area), fire boats trained, spraying water high. Perfect Golden Week: stay home, local spots with few people, relax. Then strike when workers return. We had a really good time.
00:15:44 John Daub: Programming note for Patreon supporters: every Monday morning (Sunday night US), Q&A and trip planning. I've lived here 26 years, 17 cities, every prefecture multiple times—Hiroshima two years, etc. Join for live stream podcasts; Nightbot has details. I'll upload some Q&As.
00:17:02 John Daub: Quick look at Tokyo Station. Konnichiwa. (Interacting with fans) You're from Canada? Awesome—picture? Have a nice trip.
00:17:46 John Daub: If you have questions, leave comments. See you in tomorrow's live stream. Golden Week is done—time for summer. Matane (see ya).