I went out this morning for an errand and came back in the evening.
It’s the first day of a three-day weekend, and since the weather was gloomy, I thought the roads wouldn’t be that crowded. I was wrong.
People often say to me, “Kamakura must have terrible traffic.”
If you choose your time carefully, it’s manageable — but if you try to move around during the day, it’s tough.
Simply getting into Kamakura is a challenge.
Basically, there are only three routes:
from Tokyo or Yokohama, either via the Asahina Road or Kamakura Highway through Ōfuna;
and from the west, through the coastal road or from Fujisawa.
All of them get jammed.
The main roads are full of tour buses, and even the back roads are packed thanks to navigation apps sending drivers down every narrow street.
And on weekends, there are so many inexperienced drivers.
Not dangerously bad, perhaps — just slow and hesitant on Kamakura’s narrow, winding roads.
You find yourself muttering:
“Really? You’re turning now?”
“Come on, you could’ve pulled over there!”
And then, of course, the main street, Wakamiya Ōji, is clogged with airport vans and inbound tourists.
I suppose it’s my fault for driving during peak hours, but still — Kamakura traffic wasn’t this bad ten years ago.
Today, thanks to the rain, there were fewer cars and people.
If only sunny days were like this too… but tomorrow’s forecast is for clear skies, which means the streets will be overflowing again.
Just grumbling.
No comments:
Post a Comment