Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17882419823931761026609141AFP__20251021__79FZ2XC__v2__MidRes__TopshotJapanPolitics.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi stands up to acknowledge the applause after she was selected as Japan&#x27;s new prime minister during an extraordinary session of the lower house of parliament in Tokyo on October 21, 2025<em>. Philip Fong, AFP</em> <br/></span></span></span>TOKYO, Japan — Japan will ease overtime regulation starting Tuesday in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticized as a relapse into the country&#x27;s ingrained workaholic culture.</div><p>The move comes after the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi -- a self-proclaimed workaholic -- adopted a growth strategy in July calling for revisions to the current oversight of work hours.</p><p>The change in part reflects calls from certain business sectors for more flexible work styles as they grapple with a deepening labor shortage.</p><p>Roughly 40 percent of businesses in Japan are operating under specific labor-management agreements that legally allow monthly overtime of up to 100 hours, according to the labor ministry.</p><p>But those companies were still advised by authorities to cap overtime at 45 hours each month, with that guidance considered on par with regulation.</p><p>That was because exceeding that threshold can increase risks for so-called &quot;karoshi&quot;, or deaths from overwork, a labor ministry official told AFP.</p><p>Under the new rule that took effect Tuesday, labor standards inspection offices will no longer pressure businesses into the 45-hour cap.</p><p>A Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey showed in May that this pressure was &quot;restricting&quot; activity of around 20 percent of Japan&#x27;s small and mid-sized businesses, especially in short-staffed industries such as construction, transport and hospitality.</p><p>Critics, however, said the move reversed steps taken by Japan to modernize its corporate culture long centered around marathon work hours.</p><p>Once a bastion for &quot;corporate warriors&quot; fiercely devoted to their jobs, the country has in recent years ratcheted up efforts toward a better work-life balance, especially after the 2015 suicide of an exhausted 24-year-old employee at advertising giant Dentsu.</p><p>&quot;This is an unacceptable shift away from, and abolition of, the policy that urged companies to shorten work hours,&quot; the National Confederation of Trade Unions in Tokyo, commonly known as Zenroren, said in a statement.</p><p>The labor ministry stresses that it will keep tabs on companies to ensure they take measures to protect the wellbeing of employees.</p><p>It will &quot;continue to provide the necessary guidance if there is a high risk that health problems caused by excessive work may arise,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jqMf_C1zmLQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Japan will ease overtime regulation starting Tuesday in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticised as a relapse into the country's ingrained workaholic culture.</p>

Japan will ease overtime regulation starting Tuesday in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticised as a relapse into the country's ingrained workaholic culture.

Japan to relax overtime regulation under workaholic PM

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Japan to relax overtime regulation under workaholic PM

Agence France-Presse,

Tomohiro Osaki,

Agence France-Presse

Published September 01, 2026 01:53 PM PHT

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Agence France-Presse

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