Fukuda in favor of daylight saving time

Tuesday 27th May, 06:30 AM JST

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tkoind2 at 10:11 AM JST - 27th May
People working a zillion hours a day isn't a real concern for this. They will work a zillion hours no matter what the lighting outside looks like. Doesn't anyone in these parties ever go to the average office? One visit will show that people work 24/7 anyway.

Daylight savings will deliver a lot of positives that they need to consider.
1. It is a green policy to reduce use of lighting.
2. It will stimulate evening economies as people go out shopping, eating and to recreation in the longer daylight hours. The lucky non-salaryman people I mean.
3. It will add more daylight time for outside events and use of parks and recreation by more people.
It is really nice to finish work on a summer evening and go meet friends for an outdoor cafe a couple hours before sunset. Japan, try it. You may really enjoy it. The work hours issue is something separate that Fukuda should also be looking at to help prevent overwork and worker exploitation.
2020hindsight at 11:12 AM JST - 27th May

"Japan introduced daylight saving time in 1948 but scrapped it four years later because it did not produce the intended results, with many people opting to work even after the workday was over."

What were the intended results? That there is an hour more daylight in the evening? And this didn't work? Did the celestial bodies and physics conspire against them? And what is this crap about working longer? Have these people no watches? Do they tell the time by sundial? I know: Mandatory clocks in every office and then implement DST!
DeepAir65 at 11:20 AM JST - 27th May

Working for an international company with strong ties to Europe I love the fact we don't have DST here as I can start my conference calls an hour earlier thus getting home an hour earlier.

Are there any countries in Asia that use DST?
meija at 01:08 PM JST - 27th May

The government are just trying to steal your life. When those clocks are moved forward at the start of daylight savings, an hour of your life instantly disappears. Is that what we really want? Imaginine the cumulative effect of years of DST!
Spanishwoman at 02:45 PM JST - 27th May

What about shifting 2 hours the time also? Here the sun is up there too early and goes down too early... Who needs the sunshine while still in bed sleeping?
GW at 03:09 PM JST - 27th May

before Japanese can enjoy the wonders of DST almost all of them need a crash course in how to enjoy life, most are pretty inept in that dept.

until they improve that aspect of life(unlikely!) DST will just be something many cant comprehend.
Nessie at 03:11 PM JST - 27th May

Wow, really stepping into the fray of controversy with this position. Who says he's not a statesman?
capone at 04:51 PM JST - 27th May

blah blah blah blah...when i arrived in 1986, Nakasone was in favor of it as well
Sebarashii at 05:03 PM JST - 27th May

Leaving the debate about the sense or nonsense of DST for a moment: Can you imagine what a hassle it would be in the media twice a year when the clocks will be adjusted? The interviews in the streets about how people feel about it? The reports from farms that ask how the livestock is dealing with it? The lifestyle programms telling you how to best deal with it? The endless computer animations and cute graphics of cheery suns? The horror, the horror...
ALHQQ at 09:45 PM JST - 27th May

>

Critics say the measure might merely result in people working longer anyway beyond their official hours.

Japan introduced daylight saving time in 1948 but scrapped it four years later because it did not produce the intended results, with many people opting to work even after the workday was over.

since when are Japanese people working past the intended workday, this is a new one one me, how absurd...
usaexpat at 11:48 PM JST - 27th May

I miss daylight savings time actually. Back home in the summer you have sunlight until 8:30 or 9 at night. I always wished they would just put it through year round as in the winter it would get dark at 4pm.
Wottock_Hunt at 10:03 AM JST - 28th May

Doesn't this work on the assumption that Fukuda will still be PM in 2010?

Not going to happen. Too many people have it ingrained in them that it's confusing or troublesome. Never thinking that all it would take was an order from a higher-up and everyone would snap to it.

"But shacho, I don't agree with staying in the office until midnight, it's troublesome..."

It could be done tomorrow. It will never be done. Inertia governs this neck of the woods.
smithinjapan at 12:44 PM JST - 28th May

Good. Maybe I can stop being woken up at 4:00 a.m. by sunrise, and can spend a little bit of time in the sun after 6:00 p.m.
NagoyaGaijin at 08:11 AM JST - 30th May

There are arguments for and against going to DST...IMHO, it is a bit of an anachronistic practice and really isn't needed any more. As is--when the clock says it is 6PM, and I can ride home from work with my sunglasses on and get home in time to crack a tinny and watch the sunset...in winter, it is full-dark by 5 PM. Personally, I think Japan is doing well without DST. For the agrarians, they can just get up a little earlier and go to bed earlier (which is what DST technically imposes). For the city folk--consider this...the commute home just before sunset is already hot enough. Do it an hour earlier, and we are talking about getting into those crowded trains in the hottest part of the day (or in my case, to avoid said crowded trains, hoppin on a bike).
cwhite at 09:05 PM JST - 30th May

hahaha, most buildings, subways, schools have the lights on pretty much all day. In fact most apartments I see have the curtains drawn all day with the light on. The only possible benefit that I can think of is all that money needed to invest in updating digital clocks around the country. I reckon a few trillion yen should be able to do the job, mind you embedded systems would be a nightmare to change back and forth the time. Maybe in 10-20 years time when most clocks become dependent on radio wave transmissions it would become a reality. I for would one would go nuts having to change the clock on everything in my house. I count at least 100 items that have a clock (pc's, aircon's, fridge, recorders, security cameras, fax, printer, mobiles, digital camera, game consoles, cooker, microwave, bath, washlet, kids toys, mp3 player and the list just goes on) I look forward to the day people get locked out offices, security systems, ATM machines, ticketing machines (after midnight), automated phone services, online internet services, etc... How about instead of spending trillions on gas/oil lines and paying Arabs for rail line, right to dig, shipping and all that non-economical stuff they could give away solar panels to every single person in the country with a roof over their head.