It’s quiet in my neighborhood now. I think half the people have gone on vacation. “Obon” is a convenient time to travel because many workers have a week off. However, traveling can be expensive. Air fares and hotel prices are 20-30% higher than usual, and a one-day pass for USJ is over 10,000 yen from August 11 to August 20. If you take the Nozomi super express, you have to pay extra for a reserved seat. Some “obon” prices are local. I noticed a price difference at the Italian restaurant in my neighborhood when I went there for lunch with a friend yesterday. We couldn’t order the usual lunch special. We had to pay weekend prices even though it was a weekday because it was “obon.”   (126 words)

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