Is it true that Japanese people work a lot?

In this article, we will talk a little about the working hours in Japan, and we will understand why the Japanese have a reputation for working too much, and show that Japan is not synonymous with work.

In Japan, workers are paid by the hour. According to Japanese labor law, the working hours are 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week, just like in most countries. But employees can choose to work up to 45 overtime hours per month, where they receive 25% to 50% more than the standard hourly wage.

Because of this, many Japanese have developed a work addiction. More than 1 million Japanese workers have signed a term allowing them to work up to 100 overtime hours monthly. The government has tried various ways to end work addiction, such as limiting overtime and even removing extra compensation.

What is work like?

During the 8 hours of work, the worker has a 1-hour break; some companies usually split this hour into several breaks throughout the day. The law requires that a worker have at least 1 day of rest per week or 4 monthly. If the employee wants to work on their day off, they receive an additional 35%.

A large part of young people and adults work in part-time or non-fixed jobs. Others work for themselves, create their own business, and manage their time.

History and Culture

There are several reasons that contribute to the Japanese having a work addiction. After the Second World War, Japan underwent rapid economic growth, thanks to the dedication of the Japanese people. It then became customary for the Japanese to have a love for work.

In a traditional Japanese office, some employees follow a “etiquette” rule, where “one cannot leave” before the boss, even if their work has already been completed.

One of the main factors for the Japanese working too much is money. Some end up striving for the sake of their family but forget to spend time with them. Some tend to postpone vacations to work, while others work so much that they end up dying from overwork.

And we also have many Japanese who do not like to work and seek other paths, some don’t even leave their homes. The average salary in Japan is not usually very different, so the Japanese have more freedom of choice. So just because some Japanese work more than 12 hours a day, we cannot generalize.

Work for foreigners in Japan

Although the working hours in Japan are only 8/9 hours, foreigners end up creating a bad reputation for work in Japan because of the overtime. Unfortunately, some companies force workers to do overtime; if not, they lose their job and are easily replaced by another.

Japan is lacking workers, and companies and contractors prefer to hire people who can do the work of 2, to avoid costs with taxes and social security Shakai Hoken for each employee. Thus, many foreigners end up seeing no alternatives but to work 12 hours a day, including Saturday.

In some cases, it is the foreigners themselves who dive into work, aiming to save money and return to their home country, ignoring fun, culture, language, outings, and end up living a depressing life, and then blame Japan. The lack of fluency in the language, or the lack of opportunities, prevents them from discovering various other paths and satisfying careers.

Working Hours in Japan and the World

Many think that Japan is one of the countries where people work the most in the world, but they are wrong. A survey shows that the average working hours in Japan is 1734 per year, which is approximately 34 hours per week.

The country that works the most is Mexico, with an average annual working hour of 2237, which equals 43 hours weekly. In second place, we have Greece, followed by Chile, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Israel, Brazil, Turkey, Ireland, the United States, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, New Zealand, Italy, and only then do we have Japan, far from the top of the ranking of countries with the highest annual working hours.

Working Hours Ranking

Pos	Country	Annual Hours	Weekly Hours
1	Mexico	2237	43.
2	Greece	2037	42.
3	Chile	2015	42.
4	Russia	1980	41.
5	Poland	1918	40.
6	Hungary	1883	39.
7	Estonia	1868	38.
8	Israel	1867	40.
9	Brazil	1841	40.
10	Turkey	1832	47.
11	Ireland	1815	35.
12	United States	1788	41.
13	Czech Republic	1772	40.
14	Slovakia	1770	40.
15	New Zealand	1760	37.
16	Italy	1752	36.
17	Japan	1734	34.

Sometimes a country may have a lower monthly working hour, but has a shorter vacation period. The sources of this ranking are from the OECD. Not all rankings are the same; in some, I found Japan in 21st place.

Despite Japan having work addicts, it is not a country with high working hours. There are millions of Japanese who work part-time, others who work whenever they want, just like in any country.

So we conclude that work in Japan is like anywhere else in the world. The difference is in how the Japanese view the work routine. So before believing in the media or people’s generalizations, do some research and gain true knowledge about the subject.

We recommend that you also read the article > Work in Japanese – Understand the differences and meanings.

Karoshi – Death from Overwork

In the Japanese language, there is a term called Karoshi, which is used to report deaths caused by overwork. Karoshi has been part of public awareness since 1980.

The main medical causes of deaths from karoshi are heart attacks and strokes due to stress. There are also malnutrition and suicide, where work is one of the main causes.

If you want to know more, we recommend reading our article on Karoshi.