Posted on 11/17/2025 5:59:45 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
When it comes to the future of work, Japan is caught in a tug-of-war.
Tokyo officials are pushing for a four-day workweek, hoping a shorter schedule will ease the nation’s notoriously punishing work culture and curb “karoshi”—which translates to death from overwork. With birthrates falling and burnout rising, many see the shift not as a perk, but a necessity for Japan’s economic survival.
But the country’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is signaling a very different approach. The 64-year-old drew scrutiny this month for summoning staff to a meeting at 3 a.m.—not for a national security crisis, but simply to get a jump on her appearance before parliament.
While she later acknowledged the early start “caused inconvenience” to her staff, she defended the action as necessary to address lawmakers’ questions, according to The New York Times. But it’s not the first time Takaichi has indicated her comfort with an intense work cadence.
After being elected, Takaichi said she planned to “discard the term ‘work-life balance’ for myself. I will work, work, work, work, and work.” In practice, that means Takaichi reportedly sleeps about only two hours a night—sometimes up to four—a habit she admitted to lawmakers is probably “bad” for her skin.
Still, even as Japan pushes to spur economic growth while easing workplace pressures, Takaichi insists she supports policy changes that protect workers’ health—even if she wasn’t leading by example. “Indeed, if we can create a situation where people can properly balance childcare and caregiving responsibilities according to their wishes, and also being able to work, enjoy leisure time, and relax—that would be ideal,” Takaichi said, according to AFP.
(Excerpt) Read more at fortune.com ...
In the US “death by overwork” is a laugh line.
Porn addiction, texting addiction, buying things on Amazon, ebay and various stores online, scrolling clickbait on phones, taking off for a snack, pretending to be working but really just staring at the screen (Office Space scene).
A few years ago the Thanksgiving time records for online bargain shopping were not on the weekends, but for Monday “when employees could get back to the workplace and use the new high speed internet they couldn’t afford at home.”
Dated story as high speed internet became nearly universal a couple of years later.
I wish I could have worked from home for three days a week for the same salary. I would have an hour a day staring at a license plate in front of me.
Four tens are the best.
“Death by overwork? Gimme a break…Or am I missing something?
We had an Intel Japan employee working with us back in ‘96.
I felt sorry for how hard he had to work in Japan.
We worked very hard but his days were insane.
It’s a phenomenon that’s afflicted Japan’s work culture for decades: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karoshi
That’s a Bee headline, if I ever saw one
Four tens cut office HVAC (and commuting costs) by 20%.
Most effective cost savings are attained by alternating Monday-Thursday workweeks with Tuesday-Friday workweeks.
Every other weekend is a “long weekend” and allows for deeper setbacks on office building HVAC.
Public school systems could enjoy immediate 20% savings in “ancillary services” of bus transportation and cafeteria expenses.
Yes those are good hours, my last office we worked 9 hours 9 days so a three day weekend every other week.
Since 2020, I have worked from home. I hated it. I should have gone to my church and set up an office. The pastor wasn’t going there anyway. When you work from home, you are always at work. It’s a mindset thing. And your employer can expect you to always be at work because you are always in the office. It’s one reason I retired.
In this woman’s case, that lack of sleep will take her out if she keeps it up.
Not just work culture.
Family life.
And birth rate.
The Japanese are NOT stupid. They’ll just make those four workdays 32 hours long each.
““Death by overwork? Gimme a break…Or am I missing something?”
You’re missing a few things
-7 day/100 hr. work weeks (6x14s + 16) for 4 years
-”Surge” 120 hr. work weeks for 2 months
-2 hr. Commutes and getting hit and totaled-out 4x
-24/7 recalls
-”Always on duty”
-Life and death outcomes from your work
-Office stress
-2am calls for other ppls’ problems
-Cancelling vacations and family time
-Commuting injury from whiplash. Permanent paralysis
I was forced to retire at 63 last year due to the last item. I’m 63 going on 93. I consider myself to be very fortunate to be able to stand and hobble.
I get it now. Thanks.🙂👍
A few examples cited in the “Karoshi” article were rather brutal:
- 110-hour work week for an individual at a snack food company who died of a heart attack at 34.
- A bus driver worked 3,000 hours a year, and worked 15 straight days before dying of a stroke at the age of 37.
- A guy working at a printing company died of a stroke after working 4,320 hours a year.
By way of comparison, a full-time job at 40 hours a week works out to 2,080 hours over 52 weeks (roughly the whole year).
Got it.
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