Bon return rush peaks at Narita

The return rush from the Bon holidays peaked Sunday at Narita airport, filling the arrivals hall with tanned travelers returning from abroad.

The airport authority said it estimated 44,500 arrivals Sunday, around 2,500 people less than last summer's peak. The drop was blamed in part on the March 11 quake and tsunami.

"Thanks to the strong yen, we thought things were lower-priced at duty-free shops," said Miyuki Yokohama, a 42-year-old office worker from Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture. Yokohama visited Singapore with three daughters, and bought cosmetics and other products there. "It was fun taking a ride on Singapore Flyer, one of the world's biggest Ferries wheels," she said.

Hiroto Ota, a 37-year-old construction worker from Yokohama, said he returned from a five-day trip to Guam with his family of four. "It was the first overseas trip with our children," he said. "We had fun snorkeling."

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