Should Japan Bring Back Daylight Saving Time?

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1. 01Should Japan Bring Back Daylight Saving Time?

   Good afternoon. I'm an engineer from Australia, working in Tokyo. Every summer here, the sun rises before five a.m., and I wonder why the clocks never change. Today, let's look at whether Japan should use daylight saving time.

   午安。我是一名來自澳大利亞的工程師，在東京工作。這裡每年夏天，太陽在早上五點之前就升起來了，我常常想，為什麼時鐘從來不調整。今天，我們來看看日本是否應該實行夏令時。

2. 02Japan Tried It Before

   Interestingly, Japan has tried this before. During the postwar occupation, Japan used daylight saving time from 1948 to 1951. It was unpopular, and it was abolished, partly because people felt it made their working days longer.

   有意思的是，日本以前嘗試過。在戰後佔領時期，日本從1948年到1951年實行過夏令時。它很不受歡迎，後來被廢除了，部分原因是人們覺得它讓工作日變得更長了。

   Sources: Japan: 夏時刻法 (Summer Time Act, Act No. 29 of 1948), in force 1948, repealed April 11, 1952; summer time observed 1948–1951; Japan Today, "Daylight savings promoted as a possible fix to Japan's stagnated economy"

3. 03For: Using Summer Mornings Better

   Supporters say Japan wastes its summer mornings. In June, it's bright long before most people wake up. Moving the clocks forward would give people more daylight in the evening, after work or school.

   支持者說，日本浪費了夏天的早晨。六月裡，天早早就亮了，大多數人還沒起床。把時鐘撥快，能讓人們在傍晚、下班或放學後擁有更多的日照時間。

4. 04For: Leisure and Spending

   They also argue that brighter evenings encourage people to go out, exercise, eat at restaurants, and enjoy hobbies. Some see it as a way to improve quality of life.

   他們還認為，傍晚天更亮，會鼓勵人們出門、鍛鍊、去餐廳吃飯、享受自己的愛好。有些人把它看作提高生活品質的一種方式。

5. 05Against: Longer Working Days

   On the other hand, critics worry that in Japan's work culture, brighter evenings might just mean longer working hours. That was one of the complaints in the 1950s, and some say it could happen again.

   另一方面，批評者擔心，在日本的職場文化下，傍晚天更亮可能只意味著工作時間更長。這正是五十年代人們的抱怨之一，有些人說，這種情況可能會重演。

   Source: Japan Today, "Daylight savings promoted as a possible fix to Japan's stagnated economy"

6. 06Against: Health and Systems

   Critics also point to the twice-a-year clock change. Losing an hour of sleep can leave people tired, and updating computer systems, train timetables, and devices across the whole country would be costly.

   批評者還指出了一年兩次的時鐘調整。少睡一個小時會讓人感到疲憊，而且要更新全國的電腦系統、火車時刻表和各種裝置，成本也會很高。

7. 07My View

   In my view, the goal makes sense, but the method doesn't. Instead of changing every clock in the country, companies and schools could simply start earlier in summer. That gives people brighter evenings without the costs.

   在我看來，目標是合理的，但方法不對。與其把全國的時鐘都調一遍，不如讓公司和學校在夏天直接提早開始。這樣既能讓人們擁有更亮的傍晚，又不會產生那些成本。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, Japan's experience in the 1950s shows that clock changes only work if people's habits change too. Brighter evenings are a great idea, but only if people actually get to enjoy them. Thank you.

   最後，日本在五十年代的經歷告訴我們，只有人們的習慣也跟著改變，調整時鐘才會有效。擁有更亮的傍晚是個好主意，但前提是人們真的能享受到它。謝謝大家。

   Source: Japan Today, "Daylight savings promoted as a possible fix to Japan's stagnated economy"