Japan mulls daylight saving time for Games

Japan is considering implementing daylight-saving time in 2019 and 2020 to cope with the intense summer heat after soaring temperatures this year cast doubt over the ability of the country to safely host the 2020 Olympics, the Sankei newspaper reported.

The government and ruling parties are seeking to pass a bill this autumn, according to the report, which cited unidentified government officials. Under the plan, clocks would be pushed forward two hours in June, July and August for a test period in 2019 and then again in 2020 for the Olympics.

The Games start on July 24, 2020, and the plan would allow the marathon event, scheduled to start at 7 a.m., to effectively begin at 5 a.m., when temperatures are coolest.

Japan had a deadly heat wave this summer, raising concerns about the risk of heatstroke for athletes and volunteers. More than 57,000 people have been hospitalized with heatstroke, with more than 120 deaths in the three months through the end of July.

The government has not decided on any such plan, chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news briefing Sunday, but it is working on various ideas, such as moving event times to earlier in the day to combat the heat.

Even before winning the bid to host the Olympics, Japan had debated the benefits of such a move, as shifting clocks forward has potential for positive economic effects. Japan briefly had daylight savings during the postwar U.S. occupation.

During Japan’s last turn hosting the Olympics in 1964, the games were held in October, when Tokyo’s weather is markedly cooler. But the expensive fees paid for TV rights make moving the schedule difficult, especially as a broadcast outside of summer would clash with other sporting events.