TOKYO – Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, sparked a national debate over the country's toxic work culture on Thursday after making the startling admission that she sleeps for only two to four hours per night.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she only sleeps between two and four hours a night, but is also facing criticism for encouraging people to overwork (STR)
The revelation has drawn sharp criticism, arriving just one week after Takaichi raised eyebrows by scheduling an official 3 am staff meeting to prepare for a parliamentary session.
In a country haunted by the concept of "karoshi" literally "death from overwork" the Prime Minister's work habits are being seen as a dangerous endorsement of a practice that public health officials have struggled for decades to curb.
The controversy deepened as Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, simultaneously defended her government's ongoing discussions about possibly extending the legal upper limit on overtime work.
'Bad for My Skin'
The admission came during a legislative committee meeting, where Takaichi was ironically being questioned about the importance of reducing Japan's notoriously long work hours.
"I sleep about two hours now, four hours at the longest," she told the committee. In a bizarre aside that critics called "tone-deaf," she added: "I feel it's bad for my skin."
Her comments stand in stark contrast to the grim reality of karoshi, a legally recognized cause of death in Japan, where employees face immense social and corporate pressure to work punishing hours, often leading to fatal strokes, heart attacks, or suicide.
A Policy of More Work?
The Prime Minister was pressed to explain why her new administration, which came to power just last month, was already exploring ways to increase overtime limits to spur economic growth.
Takaichi defended the discussion, arguing that the current system lacks flexibility.
"Workers and employers have different needs," she argued. She claimed that some people "choose to work two jobs to make ends meet," while businesses complain about "strict limits on overtime."
While Takaichi stressed that any potential change would "ensure that workers' health would be protected," her critics were not convinced. They point to the apparent contradiction between her words and her actions.
"Indeed, if we can create a situation where people can properly balance childcare and caregiving responsibilities... and also be able to work, enjoy leisure time, and relax that would be ideal," she stated, even as her own schedule makes such a balance seem impossible.
The 'Work, Work, Work' Pledge
Takaichi's habits are no surprise to those who followed her campaign. After her election as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, she famously pledged to lead by example, in a way that alarmed work-life balance advocates.
"I will discard the term 'work-life balance' for myself," she declared. "I will work, work, work, work, and work."
She has been true to her word, maintaining a grueling calendar. In just her first few weeks in office, she has attended major regional meetings and held critical bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
For many in Japan, the question is whether their new leader is a model of tireless dedication or a dangerous example promoting a work culture that is already costing its citizens their lives.