How to avoid chaos in transportation during the Tokyo Olympic Games in the summer of 2020? The question remains unanswered, but one clue that authorities are working on is telecommuting, a concept that is difficult for the Japanese.

Trains are already a nightmare for tens of millions of inhabitants of the Tokyo megalopolis during peak hours in the morning. At the slightest incident, it is hell: you cannot access the platforms and it is difficult to breathe inside the wagons.

On the occasion of the Olympics, "we expect more than 10 million visitors and up to 920,000 spectators and Olympic staff per day," warns Kasumi Yamasaki, responsible for transportation for the Olympics at the Tokyo municipality.

Train operators plan to increase the frequency of trains and subways, but "the lines are already operating at full capacity during peak hours from 7:00 to 9:00," explains the AFP.

Experts expect a 10% increase in the number of passengers on trains and fear a 20% increase in the number of cars on the roads, which could lead to significant delays and dangerous traffic jams.

If drastic measures are not taken, we risk fatal crowds at railway stations, warns Professor Azuma Taguchi from Chuo University.

Against the corporate culture

The result: employees must be convinced to work from home or at least avoid peak hours. But in Japan, not going to work is a challenge.

To familiarize companies and their employees before the Olympics, authorities have decreed "teleworking days" for several years during the period from July 22 to September 6, corresponding to the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Administrations and around 3,000 private companies - including the automotive giant Toyota - participate in this initiative, but so far, these types of campaigns have not been very successful.

In addition to the fact that only part of their duties can be performed at home, there are more obstacles, points out Kanako Nakayama, in charge of teleworking at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Companies are sometimes reluctant due to "concerns about the security of confidential information (when connecting from a remote computer), the difficulty of controlling working conditions, and because corporate culture insists on the importance of face-to-face communication."

Spa-like offices

However, experience shows that those who stay at home are no less efficient. On the contrary. Yoshie Midorikawa is one of these convinced teleworkers.

After dropping off her daughter at day care, she returns home and starts her day by turning on her laptop and sending a message to her colleagues through a smartphone application, letting them know she is online.

"This way, we save a lot of time and energy by avoiding daily commutes, especially when trains are delayed and packed," says this 42-year-old woman, responsible for sales at the Kunai IT services firm.

Experts and government officials hope that efforts during the Olympic Games can set an example for the future: "It is an opportunity to implement telecommuting and create a stress-free lifestyle," values university professor Taguchi.

The temporary relocation of offices to tourist teleworking locations is also a potential solution.

This is the case in Shirahama, a city in the western part of the country that has two such buildings, built with state aid. "We highlight the close presence of beaches, hot springs, and easy access to an airport for shuttles between Tokyo and this workplace," says local official Masakatsu Ogawa.

In addition to the increased income for the city through corporate taxes, its population has also been rejuvenated with these urban teleworkers. The locality has already begun planning the construction of a third office building. (I)