Japan’s ruling party has decided to give up the idea of introducing daylight saving time during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, citing difficulties in renovating relevant systems in time for the sports events.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had ordered his Liberal Democratic Party to conduct a feasibility study as public opinion was divided over whether to introduce the practice of advancing clocks as a way to deal with the country’s intense summer heat that could negatively affect athletes’ performances.
Japan’s organizing committee has already obtained approval from the International Olympic Committee to start the men’s and women’s marathons at the cooler hour of 7 a.m. But they may now consider other options, including starting at 6 a.m.
With its decision, the LDP will forgo submitting a relevant bill to the ongoing Diet session.
“It is hard to meet the deadline before the Tokyo Olympics,” Takeo Kawamura, the House of Representatives member who heads the study group within the party, told reporters after its meeting.
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