New Year holidaymakers crowd Narita Airport

A major international airport near Tokyo is crowded with travelers heading overseas for the New Year holidays. The annual exodus at Narita International Airport is hitting its peak on Saturday.
Travelers in the departure lobby are forming long lines at check-in counters.

The airport's operator says more than 42,000 people are expected to depart for overseas destinations on Saturday alone. Officials say Hawaii, Guam, Taiwan and other short-haul destinations are popular this year because of the shorter-than-usual New Year holidays. They say some people are avoiding travel to France, apparently due to the November terrorist attacks in Paris.