THE JAPAN NEWS


 

The government held a teleworking campaign day on Monday, with about 60,000 people from about 1,000 companies mainly based in the Tokyo metropolitan area working outside their regular workplaces.

The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics is scheduled for July 24, 2020, and traffic congestion is expected on the day. Thus the government plans to set July 24 as a “telework day” every year through 2020 and carry out the large-scale campaign. It is also aiming to encourage work-style reform at companies.

At major snack maker Calbee Inc., about 270 of the about 330 people usually working at its head office in Tokyo worked at home or other locations on the day. Zhu Jing, 30, began working at her home in Tokyo at 8:30 a.m. after jogging for about half an hour in a park. She mainly organized data via her laptop.

“I can use my time more effectively by doing something else during the time that I normally use to commute,” she said.

About 3,000 workers at Yahoo Japan Corp., or half its employees, teleworked Monday at such places as a shared office in the suburbs and cafes near their homes. Manami Inabe, 31, who usually works at the head office, traveled from central Tokyo to a shared office in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, to prepare materials for her work.

“I could start working comfortably after enjoying the view from the train,” Inabe said happily.

At the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, which serves as the campaign leader, about 30 percent of officials at the head office worked at their homes and other locations. Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi held a teleconference with officials during their teleworking, and asked how they were doing.