[tz] 2-hour DST during 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

[Paul Eggert]

Prompted by the recent deadly heat wave in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met 
yesterday with the president of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, and 
discussed whether to introduce one or two hours of daylight saving time during 
the 2020 Olympics to help beat that summer's heat.

Although Japan's 2020 Olympics bid said that Tokyo's July/August climate has 
"many days of mild and sunny weather" and is "an ideal climate for athletes to 
perform at their best", in reality a Tokyo summer's heat and humidity can be 
brutal: summer temperatures regularly get to 35°C (95°F) and last week peaked at 
41°C (106°F).

The International Olympic Committee has agreed to allow staging the marathon at 
07:00 to beat the heat. "Why not 05:00? the sun will already be up then," Tokyo 
residents may be thinking. Apparently the recent heat wave has caused organizers 
to think the same thing, as a 2-hour DST would advance the event's effective 
starting time to 05:00 by the sun while still keeping it nominally at 07:00.

Although the 1964 Tokyo Games were held in October to avoid heat, this was 
before the Olympics schedule was subject to the scheduling demands of 
broadcasters and sponsors. The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics ratings were 
down 9% from 2012 (including digital streaming) and event dates will be an 
important factor in the 2020 ratings. Although a 2-hour DST would presumably 
affect attendance and ratings only in Japan, that alone is a significant concern 
for the event's organizers.

My sources:

Tokyo weighs daylight saving time for Olympics as heat wave incinerates weather 
descriptions used for 2020 Games bid. Japan Times. 2018-07-28. 
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/28/national/tokyo-weighs-daylight-saving-time-2020-olympic-games-bid-counter-heat/

OLYMPICS/2020 Tokyo organizers consider daylight saving to beat heat. Asahi 
Shimbun. 2018-07-28. http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201807280009.html