Japan government tackles overwork

Japan’s longstanding culture of overwork is running up against its shrinking workforce. Japanese workplaces have historically thrived “on unpaid overtime, presenteeism, and coercion,” the Financial Times reported — so much so that a law was passed a decade ago to prevent karoshi, or death by overwork.

But working hours appear to be coming down, as staffing shortages brought on by Japan’s aging population and low labor market liquidity have strengthened employees’ hands. Men’s average work hours per week have fallen from 50 in 1973 to below 45, and women’s from 45 to below 35, close to the US average.