The new Prime Minister of Japan, Takaichi, has sparked widespread public and media discussion with the startling revelation that she only sleeps between two and four hours a night. This disclosure comes as Japan continues to grapple with the long-standing national crisis of “Karoshi” (death from overwork).
Appearing before a parliamentary committee, the Prime Minister acknowledged the intensity of her schedule, which recently included calling an emergency meeting at 3 AM to prepare for a parliamentary session. When questioned about the widespread problem of long working hours and their negative impacts, Takaichi stated:
“I now sleep about two hours, four hours at most. I realize it’s not good for my skin.”
The committee also pressed her on the government’s proposed plan to potentially relax overtime limits in an effort to boost economic activity. She defended the proposal by stressing the divergent needs of workers and employers, noting that some individuals take on two jobs to make ends meet, while certain institutions enforce stringent restrictions on overtime. She assured that any reforms would prioritize safeguarding the health of workers.
She expressed that the ideal situation would be a system where people could willingly balance their job with raising children and home care. Upon her election last month following the Liberal Democratic Party victory, Takaichi had famously declared that she would “abandon the term ‘work-life balance’ for myself. I will just work, work, work, work, and work,” and has since maintained a relentlessly busy schedule.
