Daily time budgets of long-distance commuting workers in Tokyo megalopolis

In Tokyo Megalopolis, long-distance commuting between residences in the suburbs and work places in the centre of the city was examined. Using a questionnaire, heads of household in two suburbs were asked about the influences of long commuting hours on their daily time budgets. The results showed that on workdays, the workers who spent longer commuting rose and left home for work earlier, and came back home and retired later; accordingly, both time spent on in-home activities on workdays and hours slept on the day before a workday were shorter. Comparison of time budgets between the subjects who work 5 and 6 days per week revealed more vulnerable influences of long commuting hours in the former than the latter. The expected health consequences of these findings are discussed from a biosocial/human ecological viewpoint.