Sept. 8, 2026
According to a survey conducted every five years by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the national average for "commuting time by car" is 29 minutes.
Compared to the average "train commute" of 59 minutes, it may seem shorter, but it still means spending one hour round-trip just on commuting.
If you had an extra hour on a weekday, you should normally be able to do many different things.
In reality, however, that much time is being consumed solely by commuting.
In this article, we will explain how to make effective use of your car commuting time.
You probably want to make effective use of the time you spend driving a car for your commute.
However, doing other things while driving is difficult and, moreover, dangerous.
After all, you have to drive the car.
You must constantly pay attention to your surroundings, and you cannot take your eyes off the road or the mirrors.
Therefore, unlike commuting by train,
such common methods of utilizing commute time that are possible on a train are extremely difficult.
But actually, there is an easy way to use your car commuting time effectively!
Next, we will propose a method for making effective use of your commute time.
I myself used to commute by car.
My commute time was about 30 minutes. Right in the middle of the national average.
The things I used to do inside the car while commuting were:
That was about it.
How about you?
When searching for other ways to use car commute time effectively, you might see things like:
being recommended.
However, personally, I do not recommend eating or singing during a car commute.
This is because I had an embarrassing experience myself.
It might just be in my area, but in slightly rural regions, people around you often know who is in which car or who is driving based on the car model and license plate.
It's to the point where just by seeing the car and plate, they know:
"Oh, that's Mr./Ms. XX from the neighborhood."
When that happens, you might be seen by someone you know while you are eating while driving, such as when passing an oncoming car, without you even realizing it.
"Hey, you were eating in your car the other day, weren't you?"
or,
"You were really singing your heart out in your car recently, weren't you?"
You might be told things like this...
In fact, I had such an experience.
By the way, I was stuffing my mouth with a rice ball in my car during the morning commute.
Being seen in a scene where you didn't expect to be watched is quite embarrassing.
Based on that experience, I don't really recommend eating meals or singing loudly during a car commute.
The effective use method I want to recommend for car commuting is "using your ears."
For example:
And so on.
In a world where COVID-19 spread, the radio provided a surprising amount of comfort.
It offers a different kind of enjoyment than TV programs, and some surveys reportedly show that the number of people listening to the radio increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Car commuting time is perfect for enjoying music.
When you go for a drive, music is always there.
"I want to read, but I can't open a book during my commute."
"I don't have an environment where I can concentrate on reading after returning home."
Audiobooks are what I want to suggest to those people.
With audiobooks, you can listen to the contents of a book just by paying attention with your ears.
You "read" an audiobook by listening to an audio file of someone reading the book aloud.
It is a new way to enjoy books that is different from silent reading.
The genres of audiobooks are diverse, and you will surely find a book you want to read.
Also, even for those who are "not good at reading books," audiobooks are just about listening to a narration, so it feels different from reading a book.
There is no doubt it will be an opportunity to interact with books in a fun way.
You can easily create audiobooks using a text-to-speech service.
Why not try making an audiobook with Ondoku first?
We explain in detail how to create audiobooks using free AI reading services and software, the workflow, and recommended services and software.
Additionally, some audiobooks are specifically for studying for qualifications.
If you can study and obtain a qualification, it may broaden your life choices, such as through salary increases or career changes.
For example, bookkeeping.
This means that studying for Bookkeeping Level 3 is equivalent to 1.5 months of commute time.
Furthermore, for Bookkeeping Level 2, it calculates out that you can study by utilizing 3 months of commute time.
Does reading aloud really work? We thoroughly explain the correct way to read aloud and effective study methods that are useful for qualification exams and English learning. We introduce the techniques of reading aloud, which is attracting attention as the strongest learning method, in an easy-to-understand way.
You can also enjoy the online news and blogs you read daily by "listening" to them like audiobooks.
Using text-to-speech software makes this very easy as well.
Simply by having the text-to-speech software read out the text you want, you can listen to any writing during your car commute.
Since it will read anything as long as it is text, you can use it not only during commute time but also when silent reading is a hassle.
Once you start using it, it becomes more convenient than you'd expect, and you'll get hooked.
"Ear activities," which can be done anytime, are also gaining attention as "Mimikatsu."
Why don't you also utilize text-to-speech software to incorporate new activities into your life?
Recommendations for Ear Activity (Mimikatsu) that you can start even in your busy daily life. We introduce 5 recommended free apps such as AI reading apps and podcasts, and how to utilize them in various scenes such as commuting, housework, walking, and exercising.
By making effective use of your commute time, you can significantly change your life.
Commute time takes up more of your time than you might think.
If you can use this time well, you can make your life richer.
By using it effectively rather than just letting the days pass by in a blur, you may find a "new version of yourself."
Even for those who have never read much or aren't interested in the news, why not give it a try?
You might make an unexpected discovery!
"Ondoku" is an online text-to-speech tool that can be used with no initial costs.
To use it, simply enter text or upload a file on the site. A natural-sounding audio file will be generated within seconds. You can use voice synthesis up to 5,000 characters for free, so please give it a try.
"Ondoku" is a Text-to-Speech service that anyone can use for free without installation. If you register for free, you can get up to 5000 characters for free each month. Register now for free