Japan and daylight saving time

Looks like Japan might adopt daylight saving time (summer time) starting in 2010. It’s about time (sorry), the sky starts getting bright before 5am in the summer here, what percentage of the population can make good use of that sunlight? Actually, the early morning sun starts boiling your bedroom rather early too, so this will be a welcome relief. Japan tried daylight saving time back in 1948 but abandoned it after 4 years, and it hadn’t been reinstated since, apparently because of the lobbying power of farmers, but I’m not sure how turning the clock ahead by 1 hour would affect farmers. This latest movement to bring back daylight saving time was brought on by the currently trendy eco movement, as it will presumably cut down on electricity usage such as lights for 1 hour per day. Anyways, no matter the reason, I’m glad that this looks like it might come in effect soon with non-partisan backing. The only major cultural effect I can see is that fireworks festivals that light up Japanese skies every weekend throughout the country will have to be pushed back by 1 hour, but that shouldn’t cause any major issues. Critics think that people will have to work longer hours because “it’s still light outside”, my workplace wasn’t an environment like that so I’m not sure how much of this is true.

Noting that the issue should also be considered from an environmental viewpoint, Fukuda said, “I think it is fine to introduce daylight-saving time.”

His remarks came after a nonpartisan group of lawmakers supporting the system’s introduction resumed activities last week for the first time in about three years. The members agreed to try to have the system introduced in 2010 and to make efforts to pass a bill during the current Diet session, which will end June 15.

It is uncertain whether such a bill would pass the Diet, given that lawmakers in both the ruling and opposition parties are divided over the matter.

Daylight-saving time is aimed at curbing energy consumption during daytime in the summer months as well as allowing people to spend more time on family and leisure activities after work.