I don't know if "evidence from Japan" should at all be used as some example for the rest of the world. This is after all a country that is still today, using FA

I don't know if "evidence from Japan" should at all be used as some example for the rest of the world. This is after all a country that is still today, using FAX machines in certain institutes. (although I've never seen one) There's two things that makes WFH productivity incomparable to west at least. One is the ridiculously small homes majority of (young) Japanese have to live in; if you suddenly have to WFH in that house your living room, bed room, eating/cooking room + WFH office all becomes one 10-20sqm shared space. Expecting one to be productive here is kind of ludicrous. Second is the low digitization + old, conservative work culture. Low digitization means the old-school work culture can't adapt to remote work, and most people either do commute anyway (Lockdown in Japan is not legally enforceable) or just have to work in a unproductive structure to start with.