Japan to relax overtime regulation under workaholic PM
Workers at Kurosawa Sangyo Co., a tire recycling company, work on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in Chikusei, north of Tokyo. (AP Photo)
Japan is easing overtime regulation in a move meant to help spur economic growth but criticized as a relapse into the country's ingrained workaholic culture.
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.
The change in part reflects calls from certain business sectors for more flexible work styles as they grapple with a deepening labor shortage.
