Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday instructed relevant ministers to accelerate efforts to review systems related to working hours, including the discretionary labor system.

The instruction was given during the day's meeting of the Japan Growth Strategy Council, where labor market reform to strengthen the economy was discussed.

The government also set the goal of raising the country's faltering labor productivity by 15% over five years. Japan's annual labor productivity growth has remained at around 0% in inflation-adjusted real terms in recent years. The government hopes to increase productivity growth through human capital investment and labor market reform.