Monday is the first business day of the new year, so on Sunday the nation's airports, highways and rail lines will be crammed to overcapacity by a mass migration known as the "U-turn."

This phenomenon occurs thrice yearly, at the conclusion of the year's three major vacation periods: in early January, at the end of the Golden Week holiday in early May and following the Bon break in mid-August. At each of these times, tens of millions of urban dwellers who returned to their hometowns or headed off on domestic or overseas vacations pack up their souvenirs and return to the teeming cities.

While motorists are forever out in force at these times, many choose to travel by rail rather than endure traffic that can be backed up for 50 km or more on the nation's expressways. For those with the foresight to secure reserved seats (or those who win the race to the nonreserved cars), they can be sure their trip will be relatively quick and comfortable. Even those forced to stand for some or all of their journey will be consoled that, thanks to a laudable tradition of service and dedicated management, their train's arrival time will, barring blizzards or natural disaster, be precise enough to set their watches by.