Jakarta –
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi admitted that he only sleeps two to four hours every night. This was conveyed at a legislative committee meeting, amidst public criticism that he thought he was encouraging a culture of excessive work.
Takaichi’s statement came after he caused a stir last week by holding a staff meeting at 3 in the morning. This was done in preparation for the parliamentary session.
“I sleep for about two hours now, the maximum is four hours. I think this is bad for my skin,” he explained when answering the question of the importance of reducing long working hours in Japan, quoted from The Straits Times.
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Japan has long struggled with the problem of balancing work and personal life. The phenomenon of workers dying from exhaustion has its own term, namely ‘Karoshi‘.
On the other hand, during the meeting, Takaichi was also asked to explain the government’s plans to consider adjusting overtime limits to support economic growth. He assesses that the needs of workers and companies are different.
According to him, there are workers who take two jobs to make ends meet, while companies often strictly limit overtime. Takaichi emphasized that any changes must still protect occupational health.
“Ideally, everyone can balance caring for children, working, enjoying free time and resting,” explained Takaichi.
Japan’s first female prime minister will take office in October 2025. When she was elected as head of the Liberal Democratic Party, she promised to get rid of the term work-life balance and focus on working as hard as possible.
Since taking office, Takaichi has had a busy schedule, including attending regional meetings, as well as holding bilateral meetings with United States President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
(juice/juice)
