Hundreds of thousands of employees in Tokyo will work from home for two weeks as part of a trial of measures designed to reduce congestion during next year’s Olympics. With more than 8 million people commuting into Tokyo every day, the influx of visitors for the Games in 2020 is expected to pile more pressure on the Japanese capital’s infamously crowded train system.
The campaign, dubbed “Telework Days”, is being promoted by the government and Olympic organising committee. Office equipment maker Ricoh is planning to close its Tokyo headquarters for two weeks during the Olympics and will set up satellite work sites for those of its 2,000 employees who need to meet clients or hold important meetings. Ricoh will participate in the practice run beginning this month.
Tokyo’s trains are known for images of white-gloved guards pushing commuters into carriages during rush hours on the busiest of the 121 lines that serve the greater metropolitan area, home to more than 35 million people. Twenty million train rides are taken daily in the metropolis. Train operators are planning to extend operating hours for the duration of the Olympics.
