[2026 Obon Travel Trends] About Half Plan 'No Return Home,' 50% of Those Returning Home Feel Increased Costs - Ideal is 'Within 10,000 Yen Round Trip,' Budget and Reality Gap Widens Due to Inflation. Era of Smart Use of Multiple Transportation Methods Begins -

WILLER MARKETING Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, President: Munenori Tsujimoto), which operates the travel booking portal site "WILLER TRAVEL," conducted the "2026 Summer (Obon) Homecoming Cost Survey" targeting 1,829 WILLER members.

The survey results showed that 47.1% of respondents answered "no plans to return home" for this year's Obon, indicating that about half of people are not planning to visit their hometowns during the Obon period this summer. Furthermore, 50.0% of those planning to return home responded that "homecoming costs have increased compared to last year," revealing the reality that prolonged inflation is also affecting travel to hometowns.

Additionally, while about 80% of people think "I want to return home if it's within 10,000 yen round trip," in reality, about half are bearing costs exceeding their desired amount, highlighting the gap between ideals and reality.

Against this backdrop, there is a trend of not sticking to a single mode of transportation but using multiple methods depending on the purpose and budget, with highway buses also gaining support as a viable option.

<Survey Result Topics>

1 This Year's Obon Trends

About half (47.1%) have "no plans to return home" for Obon.

2 Underlying Issues

50.0% of those planning to return home responded, "Costs have increased compared to last year."

3 Mismatch Between Ideal and Reality

Ideal is "within 10,000 yen round trip," but in reality, about half exceed their budget.

4 Diversification of Transportation Methods

Shinkansen and highway buses are tied at 58.7% for intended use. Diversified use according to purpose and budget is progressing.

▼ Details of Survey Results

1 Regarding Obon homecoming plans this year, "not planning" was the most common at 47.1%

When asked about homecoming plans for this year's Obon, only 31.1% responded "planning to return," with "not planning" being the most common at 47.1%. When combined with the 21.9% who answered "undecided," it became clear that nearly 70% of people are either foregoing their homecoming or are undecided until just before the period.

2 50.0% of those planning to return home responded, "Costs have increased compared to last year." Voices of concern about balancing with living expenses.

Among the reasons for not planning to return home, "costs (transportation fees, etc.)" ranked high (12.7%), following "work or studies" and "avoiding crowds/traffic jams." On the other hand, when asked about the comparison with last year among those planning to return home, 50.0% responded that "homecoming costs have increased compared to last year," and concerns about increased expenses due to inflation are a factor in hesitating to return home.

3 "I want to return home if it's within 10,000 yen round trip," accounting for about 80%. In reality, about half exceed their budget.

While about 80% of people think "I want to return home if it's within 10,000 yen round trip," in reality, about half are bearing transportation costs that exceed their desired amount, highlighting the gap between budget and actual expenditure.

This result reflects the real financial situation of consumers who "want to return to their parents' home but want to keep costs down."

4 Shinkansen and highway buses tied at 58.7%. "Diversified use of transportation methods" is progressing according to purpose and budget.

Regarding transportation methods for returning home, both the Shinkansen and highway buses ranked first with 58.7%. Furthermore, "using highway buses (47.8%)" was the most frequently mentioned measure taken to save on homecoming costs. A trend of using different transportation methods according to purpose and budget was observed, such as using the Shinkansen for situations where time performance is prioritized, and highway buses for situations where cost performance is prioritized.

● Overall <Survey Summary>

This survey on Obon homecoming revealed that prolonged inflation is affecting consumers' homecoming behavior. Even when faced with the reality of "rising homecoming costs," consumers are not uniformly giving up on returning home, but are also looking for ways to realize their homecoming and travel by making efforts to reduce transportation costs and reconsidering their transportation methods.

Highway buses, in addition to their economy, are expanding the range of choices for consumers as a mode of transportation that can meet various needs, such as effective use of time through overnight services. It is thought that the creation of an environment where optimal transportation methods can be selected according to budget and purpose will continue to be required.

In response to these survey results, "WILLER TRAVEL" will launch a campaign for students around July 13 (scheduled) to support students who hesitate to return home due to cost, and to support young people who want to return home.

Survey Overview

Target Audience: WILLER Members

Number of Valid Responses: 1,829

Survey Period: June 8, 2026 - June 14, 2026

Survey Method: Internet-based questionnaire survey (conducted among WILLER members)

Survey Organization: WILLER MARKETING Co., Ltd.