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June 22, 2026
 

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WORK STYLE REFORM

A survey conducted by the National Personnel Authority in December found that 16.1% of full-time national government employees said they "absolutely do not want" to relocate for work, while 36.5% said they would "prefer not" to do so.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2026
Government employees in Japan express reluctance to relocate for work
The National Personnel Authority urged government agencies to reassess whether relocations carried out largely as a matter of custom are still necessary.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a May Day event in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2026
Takaichi vows support for wage hikes at May Day event
The prime minister also called for cooperation to achieve ¡°sustained wage hikes that outpace inflation.¡±
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a meeting of the government's Japan Growth Strategy Council on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 23, 2026
Takaichi asks for accelerated review of discretionary work system
As Japan¡¯s annual labor productivity growth has stayed at around 0% in inflation-adjusted real terms in recent years, the government also aims to raise it by 15% over five years.
Corporate support for employees raising children is gaining momentum, as companies face growing pressure to better accommodate the diverse needs of employees.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 8, 2026
More Japanese firms providing benefits for parents with sick children
An increasing number of employees returning from parental leave are struggling to find care if their children fall ill.
Pedestrians in the central business district in Melbourne, Australia
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2026
World-first work-from-home laws threaten Melbourne¡¯s economy
With a legal right to work remotely twice a week, many businesses fear how this will affect them.
Yukimi Takahashi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in December, held prior to the 10th anniversary of the death of her daughter, Matsuri Takahashi.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 1, 2026
Labor officials worry work-style reform progress could backslide
The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has started discussing a possible easing of working-hour regulations.
The government adopted a bill Friday to support logistics systems that let truck drivers limit work to day trips.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2026
Government adopts bill to promote drivers¡¯ work-style reform
Under the bill, the government will subsidize the costs of drawing up plans for multiple logistics firms to relay cargo.
A labor ministry survey showed Thursday that 10.5% of workers want to work longer hours, including 0.5% who would want to exceed the 80-hour monthly overtime cap.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2026
One in 10 Japanese workers want to labor longer, survey shows
Meanwhile, 30.0% hope to reduce their work hours, and 59.5% are satisfied with the status quo, according to the labor ministry survey.
More than 58% of eligible male local government employees took child care leave in fiscal 2024, exceeding 50% for the first time ever.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 28, 2026
Paternity leave gets boost as local governments make it easier to take time off
The move is aimed at retaining human resources amid unabated population outflow to bigger cities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers her policy speech during the House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo last week.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 23, 2026
Takaichi expected to scrutinize Japan¡¯s discretionary work system
The system allows employees to work flexibly at their own discretion to improve efficiency, but concerns remain that it could lead to excessive working hours.
Trucks on a road near a shipping terminal in Yokohama. In 2024, the annual working hours of drivers of large trucks, who are mainly involved in long-distance cargo transportation, averaged 2,484 hours.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2026
Distribution law in Japan to be revised to help long-distance truck drivers
The aim is to allow drivers to pass their cargo to other companies¡¯ trucks at warehouses along transportation routes, making it easier for them to return home within the day.
Mappa¡¯s employees work at the anime studio¡¯s office in the city of Osaka in September. Some parts of the image are blurred for privacy reasons.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2026
Growing number of anime studios setting up bases outside Tokyo to secure talent
More companies are drawn to other cities by advantages such as easier access to local graduates and the potential to offer a better work-life balance.
Yukimi Takahashi, the mother of Matsuri Takahashi, who died as a result of overwork, speaks to reporters in front of her daughter's portrait in Tokyo on Dec. 5.
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2025
Mother in Dentsu suicide case opposes any easing of labor laws
The mother has spearheaded efforts to prevent karš­shi, including through speaking engagements at schools and labor unions.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) attends a session of the House of Councilors Budget Committee at the Diet in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2025
Prime Minister Takaichi says she sleeps only 2-4 hours a night
The revelation about how little she sleeps came after Takaichi raised eyebrows last week by arranging a 3 a.m.?staff meeting in her office to prepare for a parliamentary session.
Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
BUSINESS / Companies / Longform
Nov 3, 2025
The second life of Japan¡¯s net cafes
Once symbols of urban solitude, these spaces are finding new purpose as coworking hubs for a changing, wired generation.
Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a news conference after the LDP presidential election in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 8, 2025
Lawyers protest Takaichi¡¯s ¡®work like workhorses¡¯ remarks
The group is led by Hiroshi Kawahito, a lawyer who represented the family of an employee of major advertising agency Dentsu who committed suicide due apparently to overwork.
Nomura Holdings will require employees in Japan to spend two days a week in the office, double the current requirement.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 26, 2025
Nomura doubles minimum work-from-office requirement in Japan
The change is scheduled to take effect in spring next year, putting staff in Japan on par with Nomura¡¯s global employees.
Workations were a burgeoning trend in the corporate world for years before the COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged it.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 19, 2025
Tokyo crowned No.1 ¡®workation¡¯ spot
Japan¡¯s capital topped the rankings for its ¡°exceptional broadband speeds, transport infrastructure, safety, culture, and new digital nomad visa.¡±
After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
COMMUNITY / Issues / Longform
Jul 14, 2025
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
Remote work is reshaping how Indian professionals navigate life, family and identity in a post-pandemic Japan.
Miho Koshiba started her career in finance before she founded the Mirai Institute, a think tank that operates the Midori.so coworking space with an ever-growing cosmopolitan community across seven locations in Tokyo.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jun 28, 2025
Miho Koshiba: ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if people looked forward to Mondays?¡¯
The cofounder of the Midori.so coworking space shares her inspirations and aspirations for career and community.
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
Japan to allow local governments to ban private lodging
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in March. Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings, such as in Barcelona where the city is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks appeal
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Japanese mother sues state over teen¡¯s ¡®hostage justice¡¯ death
A lawyer representing the mother (left, blurred for privacy reasons) of a girl who died after being detained speaks during a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Onitsuka Tiger pivots from Asics stripes to tap luxury market
An Onitsuka Tiger store in the Omotesando district of Tokyo. The footwear brand prepares to transform into a luxury lifestyle label distinct from Asics.
Cozy fiction meets the magic of tidying up
¡°Whispering Rooms¡± is a novel based on the real experiences of tidying guru Marie Kondo, co-written with filmmaker and author Genki Kawamura.
¡®Kaiseki¡¯ fine dining with a side of classical poetry
Kodaiji Wakuden says it is considering holding its next poetry and fine dining crossover event next spring.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks appeal
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Tokyo¡¯s best Four Seasons may not be its biggest
Reopened on April 29 after an extensive refurbishment, the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi may not offer the skyline views of its sister property around the corner, but it excels in other areas.
Japan steps on the gas in unprecedented regional defense export push
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi walks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, as the two inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Jakarta on May 4.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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