For Ten Days in August, Japan Deletes Every Unreserved Seat on the Bullet Train.
To say the going-home travel rush in Japanese, say 帰省ラッシュ (kisei rasshu).
You show up at the Shinkansen gate in mid August and there's no unreserved car. Not full. Gone.
帰省ラッシュ
kisei rasshu
the going-home travel rush
In this video
- 今は帰省ラッシュです。 ima wa kisei rasshu desu. Right now it's the going-home rush.
- 指定席、まだ空いていますか？ shiteiseki, mada aite imasu ka? Are there still reserved seats?
Kanji in this phrase
- 帰省
- きせい
- 指定席
- していせき
- 空いて
- あいて
- 今
- いま
Why this phrase
For about ten days around Obon, the whole country heads home at once. In 2026 the Nozomi runs all reserved from August 7th to the 16th, so without a reservation you're standing by the doors the whole way. One word explains it, and it's on every station screen that week.
Up next
More phrases like this
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- You Ordered Kaki and They Brought the Oyster · kudamono no kaki o kudasai
- The Taxi Hasn't Moved. · hatsunori
- Those Two Kanji Were the Fee. · haikanryō
- She Had to Walk Around for Your Chicken. · jibun de o-tori kudasai
- Your Robe Is on the Funeral Side. · migi-mae
- You Let the Extra Train Leave. · rinji ressha
- Your Train Is a Bus at the Curb. · basu daikō ga dete imasu
- She Said Take Your Time. You Stood Up. · go-yukkuri
- The Cheap Room Smelled Like Smoke. · heya o kaete moraemasu ka
- Did You Catch That? The Door Is Four Cars From the Front. You Counted From the Back. · mae kara nan-ryōme desu ka?
- Did You Catch That? Nodding in Akihabara Just Sold You a Warranty. · hoshō wa ikaga desu ka?
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