Koike promised to mitigate train congestion when she first ran for governor last summer. The Tokyo government plans to make it a yearly campaign.
“Packed trains and long working hours are the remnant of Japan’s rapid growth period backed by mass production and mass consumption. Changing such a mindset is the key for the campaign to succeed.†Koike said.
Participating 260 companies and municipal governments will promote flexible working hours and/or telecommuting.
In the 2015 fiscal year, the train congestion rates of many railways in the Tokyo area was well over 150 percent for the morning rush hour, with passengers packed shoulder to shoulder.
With some railways, the rates almost reached 200 percent, with commuters’ bodies pressed against each other, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
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