Enduring a deadly heat wave this summer, Japan is considering adopting daylight saving time from next year, so that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games can stage events during cooler hours, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported Monday.
Enduring a deadly heat wave this summer, Japan is considering adopting daylight saving time from next year, so that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games can stage events during cooler hours, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported Monday.
The report prompted an outpouring of opposition on social media from people worried that it would result in longer hours at work, and the main government spokesman said a decision had still to be taken. “It is not true that the government has decided to aim for adopting daylight savings time,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference, citing a “major” impact on peoples’ lives. “We plan broad measures such as earlier start times, more greenery and heat-inhibiting pavements.” At least 120 people have died during the scorching heat this summer, raising concerns about athletes’ safety during the 2020 Games, which will be held in late July and early August, Japan’s hottest, most humid months.
