The tsunami and earthquake off the coast of Japan earlier this year left the government and the country as a whole reeling. The same can be said of the Japanese automotive industry, which has also been badly affected by the disaster, mainly because of the country’s reduced capacity to generate electricity. In a country that relies so heavily on manufacturing, this is a serious issue. The Japanese, however, have shown their ingenuity once again and are tackling their problems head first.
In order to lessen electricity consumption on Thursdays and Fridays, the Japanese Automobile Association has persuaded Japanese car plant workers to take those days off and instead work on Saturdays and Sundays. On the weekends the country’s electricity demands are lower so more power is available.
These changes will come into effect in July and last through to September, the period in which air conditioning usage in Japan sky-rockets.
Other companies are considering similar moves, alongside measures already in place such as using less lighting where possible, turning off escalators and reducing the use of air conditioning. The Japanese government has requested the nation’s largest firms cut energy consumption by 15%, thus saving the country’s economy from total breakdown Covering the entire nation’s electricity demands is going to be a real challenge in the coming years, until the output that came from Fukashima is replaced.
This makes me wonder how British workers would react to the government or their employers suddenly moving their weekends in such a way. One would imagine it would disrupt the private and social lives of a great many people. It does demonstrate how eager – or at least willing – Japanese workers are to act for the common good.
Breakdown Cover from 
