TOKYO: Over 1,000 companies are considering adopting teleworking during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer in a bid to help ease traffic congestion, according to a survey by the Tokyo metropolitan government.

With the Tokyo Games seen attracting a total of some 10 million spectators from at home and abroad, measures to ease traffic jams are a key for the success of the events.

During the London Olympics in 2012, about 80 percent of businesses in the British capital utilized teleworking, leading to an improvement in productivity that came to be recognized as a legacy of the event later, sources familiar with the matter said.

At a recent meeting with the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike reported the results of the metropolitan government survey that covered some 2,400 companies, noting that 44 percent of them are considering introducing teleworking during the Tokyo Games.

"We hope that the proportion of companies actually introducing teleworking during the games will reach at least 44 percent while the figure of 80 percent seen in the London Games would be difficult to achieve," she said.

Some companies, including Daiwa House Industry Co., started to test teleworking earlier this month.

During the Tokyo Games, the major homebuilder plans to allow some 3,000 employees in the 23 wards of the Japanese capital to use teleworking.

A female Daiwa House worker in her 30s who took part in the trial that started in mid-January cited an advantage of the system, saying, "I could use the commuting time that I saved for doing household chores."

Meanwhile, a male participating employee in his 50s said, "It is difficult to fully understand the work situation at my division."

Through the trial, the company aims to identify issues that need to be resolved in the lead-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On Monday, some 30 firms, including information technology companies, will jointly hold an event to offer teleworking experience to participants.

JIJI Press