Updated
Updated · The Japan Times · Jul 23
Kihara Defends Takaichi's 0-3 Hour Sleep Routine After X Post Sparks Criticism
Updated
Updated · The Japan Times · Jul 23

Kihara Defends Takaichi's 0-3 Hour Sleep Routine After X Post Sparks Criticism

3 articles · Updated · The Japan Times · Jul 23

Summary

  • Minoru Kihara on Wednesday backed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after her X post saying she gets just 0-3 hours of sleep a day triggered criticism.
  • Monday night's post said that since taking office last October, Takaichi has spent weekends reading government documents, handling thousands of emails and only recently managed five hours of sleep.
  • Kihara declined to address the personal post directly but said Takaichi does not reject work-life balance and would keep making choices in carrying out her duties.
  • Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, said Tuesday the prime minister should spend her limited time on work only the prime minister can do.
  • The dispute has turned Takaichi's personal account of overwork into a broader test of how her government's workstyle-reform message matches the prime minister's own example.

Insights

Is Japan's Prime Minister reviving a toxic work culture or simply showing the dedication her country needs now?
Can a leader running on three hours of sleep successfully reform an economy plagued by chronic worker burnout?