As hundreds of tourists left for France with hopes of attending Japan's World Cup opener, travel agencies on Friday continued to face difficulty securing tickets.
Three special World Cup flights operated by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines left Tokyo's Narita airport Friday, carrying fans who may not be able to attend Japan's first game, Sunday against Argentina in Toulouse, about 250 km from Paris.
The country's 13 major travel agencies are 6,180 tickets short of the 9,518 they have promised customers, according to figures compiled by the Japan Association of Travel Agents.