Zhuohui Fu: Japan Restricts Overtime, But Why Does Kaohsiung Advocate Workaholism?

September 7, 2026 05:01 / Lianhe Zaobao Zhuohui Fu, Tokyo Correspondent

Japan once tightened overtime limits at the cost of karoshi (death by overwork), but now faces a contradiction between labor shortages and policy deregulation. When senior officials’ words and deeds conflict with the direction of workplace reform, where will this tug-of-war over working hours and health go?

On September 1, a man slept in a subway station in Tokyo. The Japanese government lifted the administrative guidance that limited overtime to “within 45 hours per month” starting in September, sparking social concerns that Japanese workplaces will revert to the past “workaholic” model. (AFP)

In 2015, a 24-year-old female employee at Japan’s large advertising agency Dentsu committed suicide due to depression caused by severe overtime. Japanese authorities determined this was “karoshi” caused by excessive working hours, and subsequently began strictly regulating overtime limits. Enterprises that fail to comply with these regulations will be placed on a blacklist.

According to a survey by the Japanese labor authorities, currently only 40% of enterprises strictly abide by the labor agreement limiting overtime to a maximum of 100 hours per month. Authorities are concerned that exceeding this threshold will increase the risk of karoshi.

Japan’s overtime culture began during the economic peak of the 1970s, when working overtime at the expense of sleep was even regarded as a virtue. As cases of karoshi occurred frequently, authorities in recent years have begun strictly regulating excessive overtime and encouraging a focus on work-life balance.

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