Koike to launch comfortable commute movement this summer

“It’s better to work out ways to comfortably get to work rather than everyone getting on trains at the same time and feeling packed in, especially on hot summer days.”

That's just too much common sense for one day. I gotta sit down.

It's encouraging that the government is aware of the problems as well as alternatives embraced in the west for decades. My Dad worked 6-3 in DC most of his career, missing both rush hours. Now, whether such "encouragement" will lead to any change...

I am beginning to like this lady. Seriously. Digging out the dirty old deals by Ishihara. Taking a common sense approach to the Olympics. As moonraker said, I think I need to sit down.

Start by changing the clocks. Put them back at least two hours in the summer. The heat is unbearable even at 08:30 in the morning during the summer. Plus, it gets dark way too early too. Stop with the stubborn excuses and put the clocks back please :)

"Start by changing the clocks." A very good suggestion! But far too practical, so you know it will never happen...

Wow! " ...encourage companies to allow employees to come to work at different times or to introduce teleworking... "

As Moonraker said, so much common sense I need my smelling salts.

As for shifting the clocks, I'd be totally in favour of a 2 hour shift, as long as it was left there. I hate the back and forth that so many places do.

But...but this would make sense!!

Has anyone even considered what Tokyo Metro is going to be like during the 2020 Olympics!

At London 2012 I convinced my then firm to allow staff flexible working hours because of the ensuing crush during the Olympics. London even managed to run the additional Hitachi train service to Stratford but Tokyo is already at full capacity with its train lines.

You can't imagine how happy I'll be in Kyushu in summer 2020.

Speaking of crowded transport, they ought to apply this concept to Golden Week, Obon and New Year's too.

Koike is also calling on train companies to introduce a system by which they can instantly assess the level of each train’s capacity.

I guess the difference between 170% full and 210% full is important.

Start by changing the clocks. Put them back at least two hours in the summer. The heat is unbearable even at 08:30 in the morning during the summer.

Surely you mean put them forward two hours. You want it to be in unbearable at 0630 instead?

Indeed, start by moving the clocks ahead in summer, if for no other reason than to not be woken up just after four when the sunlight pours through the windows. Even with the most tightly sealed sun-blocking curtains, I'm awake far earlier than I need be.

I go to be the same time year round, sleeping comfortably until seven in winter, and quite literally two or three hours less in summer. I'll speak the language of those in power and say it's simply a loss of productivity. And surely we can all enjoy our Premium Fridays even more so if it were still light well into the evening.

Unfortunately start times might get earlier but finish time would be the same.

I go to be the same time year round, sleeping comfortably until seven in winter, and quite literally two or three hours less in summer.

My clever trick is to go to bed an hour or two earlier in summer, and do exercise (etc) in the early morning. Best way to start the day!

I value that I can get up when I want to without having the time of day dictated to me by central planners, but indeed it's not ideal with other factors not being flexible with respect to time...

She says she wants to encourage companies to allow employees to come to work at different times or to introduce teleworking in an effort to ease the rush hour congestion on trains and subways in the capital,

Very very smart lady. And as for all the guys with the smelling salts and the seats for the overwhelming amount of common sense, allow me a bit of room with my bottle of JD. Koike's common sense is starting to overwhelm me too.

Everyone is praising Yuriko Koike here, but wasn't she the one who invented the horrible, quality-of-life-destroying "Cool Biz" program which has indoor temperatures set at a hellish 28 degrees? She had spent time in the deserts of the Middle East and presumably thought all of Japan should endure the heat that she had to live in.

If she is really concerned about people being able to "comfortably get to work", step number one would be be to bring back proper air conditioning. The horrible 28-degree new standard just offloads all the costs onto the public, who end up going through multiple changes of clothing each day because they're sweating so much -- and takes no account of lost productivity, instead relying on old-fashioned gaman.

Once, she ordered Tokyo gov't employs has to close the offices, 8: pm latest and now this. With size of workers, no wonder, there is no overworked employee suicide. Seems she is more concerned employees work happily .