- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 13 Nov 2025 11:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing growing criticism after holding a 3 am meeting with her staff, a move that has reignited national debate over Japan’s deeply rooted culture of overwork. The incident, coupled with Takaichi’s admission that she sleeps only two to four hours a night, has sparked concern about her leadership style and the example it sets for government workers.
According to local reports, CCTV footage showed Takaichi leaving her private residence in Tokyo in the early hours of Friday morning. She reportedly held a meeting with staff to review briefing papers ahead of a parliamentary budget session scheduled for 9 am. The meeting lasted nearly three hours.
Her decision drew immediate backlash from opposition leaders and the public. Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, now an opposition leader, condemned the move as “crazy,” saying no national leader should expect subordinates to work at such unreasonable hours. “Everyone is asleep at that time. It’s a sad attitude for a national leader,” Noda remarked during a parliamentary session.
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Japan’s Work Culture Debate
The controversy has reignited discussion about “karoshi”, or death from overwork, a long-standing social issue in Japan. The country has been trying to encourage healthier work-life balance policies, but Takaichi’s “work like a horse” attitude, which she declared upon taking office, appears to contradict those efforts.
"I sleep about two hours now, four hours at the longest. I feel it's bad for my skin," she told a legislative committee, where she had been asked about the importance of reducing Japan's notoriously long work hours.
Takaichi’s Defence
Takaichi defended her actions in Parliament, saying she had to call the early meeting because her fax machine malfunctioned and she urgently needed to rewrite responses for lawmakers. She apologised for the “inconvenience” caused to her aides but maintained the decision was necessary.
She explained that she has been staying at a Diet dormitory in central Tokyo rather than the official prime minister’s residence, citing limited facilities. “I want to move once the series of events settles down,” she said. “Right now, not only do I not have time to pack, but I am working in a situation where I can hardly get any sleep.”
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