年末年始、予約８割増　コロナ前には戻らず―ＪＲ６社

　ＪＲ旅客６社は１４日、年末年始（１２月２８日～１月５日）の指定席予約状況（１３日時点）をまとめた。新幹線と在来線の予約数は前年同期比８１％増の２３２万席だった。新型コロナウイルスの感染状況が落ち着いたことから、旅行や帰省の需要は回復傾向にあるとみられるが、２年前の６割にとどまっている。
　内訳は新幹線が８９％増の１９１万席、在来線は５３％増の４１万席。下りのピークは１２月２９、３０日、上りは１月３日という。
　秋田、山形新幹線では前年の２倍超の予約が入った。東海道新幹線はピーク時の一部列車で席が埋まりつつあるといい、ＪＲ各社は混雑を避けた利用を呼び掛けている。（2021/12/14-20:25）

The number of seat reservations for Shinkansen bullet trains and other Japan Railways Group trains during the year-end and New Year's holiday period increased 81 pct from a year before, the six JR Group passenger service firms have said.
   A total of 2.32 million seats had been booked as of Monday for the period from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5, the JR companies said Tuesday.
   Demand for trips, including to hometowns, is seen recovering as the COVID-19 infection situation has become calm in the country. But the train seat bookings for the winter holiday period stood at only 60 pct of the level marked two years ago, or before the spread of the novel coronavirus.
   The number of Shinkansen seats reserved for the upcoming holiday period jumped 89 pct from a year earlier to 1.91 million, and 410,000 seats were reserved for conventional JR express trains, up 53 pct.
   Seat reservations for trains from and to Tokyo will peak on Dec. 29-30 and Jan. 3, respectively, according to the JR firms.