Aug 18, 07:24 AM

Japan’s Obon Holiday Sees 8% Rise in JR Rail Use with Tokaido Shinkansen Up 13%; China’s Autonomous Regions GDP Hits 8.38 Trillion Yuan

During the 2025 Obon holiday period in Japan, a total of approximately 13.18 million passengers used JR railway services, including the Shinkansen, marking an 8% increase compared to the previous year. The Tokaido Shinkansen line saw a 13% rise in ridership, achieving a record high daily average despite disruptions from smoke incidents and heavy rain. The Osaka-Kansai Expo attracted substantial passenger traffic, contributing to the busy travel season. Meanwhile, China's five autonomous regions—Guangxi Zhuang, Xizang, Xinjiang Uygur, Ningxia Hui, and Inner Mongolia—reported a combined GDP increase from 6.01 trillion yuan in 2020 to nearly 8.38 trillion yuan in 2024, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 5.6%. Xinjiang's trade volume surged 27.3% year-on-year to 321.02 billion yuan ($45.34 billion) in the first seven months of 2025, with July alone reaching 40.39 billion yuan, a 23.5% increase. China's national railway system also experienced growth in 2025, transporting over 712 million passengers since July 1, a 4.1% increase year-on-year, with an average of 14.84 million passengers daily and 11,298 trains operating each day. Freight volume reached over 2.33 billion tonnes in the first seven months, up 3.3% year-on-year, supported by enhanced network efficiency and improved services. Additionally, ticket sales for the Osaka-Kansai Expo have surpassed the break-even threshold, indicating strong financial performance for the event.