I’d go farther and say that 100 ambitious Frenchmen couldn’t do the work of 60 average Japanese men. Sure there exceptions. But in sum? Hard work is ingrained in the very culture of Japan whereas avoiding hard work is the core culture of France.
Some of the highest divorce rates there are come from Japanese ‘salarymen’ working 16 hour days for months on end. The French? Find more than a handful that ever worked like that.
I have to throw in for my Indian counterparts. They seem to have the best balance of the bunch. Good, solid homelife and excellent work ethics...