Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sparked controversy after stating that she sleeps only "zero to three hours" a night, triggering widespread debate in the country regarding work-life balance.

Takaichi spent the weekend rereading policy documents and dealing with a backlog of thousands of emails, according to a social media post yesterday (Tuesday). She wrote that she got "a full five hours of sleep for the first time in a long time" — an improvement from the "zero to three hours" she had grown accustomed to.

Takaichi said she spent her limited free time ironing underwear, sewing frayed skirts, and fixing loose jacket buttons, according to The New York Times.

The Japanese Prime Minister's post, which appeared to highlight her struggles with sleep deprivation, drew mixed reactions between supporters and opponents. Hiroyuki Konishi, a critic of Takaichi in parliament, called for her resignation, saying: "A prime minister's real job is to set policy directions and issue instructions, not to scrutinize every detail of documents."

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for People, said at a press conference held yesterday: "Isn't it the duties of a supreme leader, in a sense, to distribute work so that one can focus on tasks that can only be done by the supreme leader?" He pointed to the option of outsourcing housework, adding: "I think she needs more rest. Why doesn't her team provide her with more support to create an environment that allows her to make important decisions with a clear mind?"

The Debate Over Women's Work

The Japanese Prime Minister's post garnered more than 31 million views, thrusting back into the spotlight the debate over work-life balance and the impact of sleep deprivation on the performance of officials and decision-makers, according to The New York Times.

Some commentators argued that more support should be provided to Takaichi, the first female prime minister in Japan. While past leaders often relied on their wives to help with household chores, Takaichi appeared to take on more domestic tasks herself, according to Yoko Iwama, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.

Iwama wrote in Nikkei, a prominent business newspaper: "Establishing a support system that allows Japan's female prime minister to focus entirely on her duties — without having to deal with housework personally — would contribute to the advancement of women in society."

In her post, Takaichi wrote at length about the volume of work she has accomplished recently. She said that since early July, "from early morning until late at night," she has spent her weekends at home "immersed in reviewing piles of documents." She also shared personal details, saying she is "bad at ironing clothes and it takes a long time." However, she mentioned that after an ironing session over the weekend, she "got enough handkerchiefs and underwear to last until the end of the parliamentary session." She wrote: "I will return to work in earnest starting tomorrow!"

In a related context, Takaichi's allies defended her, praising her candor in presenting the pressures of balancing work and personal commitments. Ayano Kunimitsu, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that Ms. Takaichi, like other politicians, faces pressure to manage her affairs on her own. Kunimitsu wrote on the platform X: "Everyone has their own circumstances and hidden stories. I would appreciate your understanding."

Previous Criticisms of Takaichi

This is not the first time Takaichi has faced criticism over her work style; in November, she faced criticism after summoning aides to work at 3:00 AM, before clarifying that a malfunction in her home fax machine forced her to do so in preparation for an official meeting.

Takaichi has made strenuous efforts recently to pass her legislative priorities before the parliament's summer recess on Saturday. She also faces ongoing economic challenges, with the yen hitting a 39-year low, and a slight decline in her popularity, though her approval ratings remain relatively high.

Long Working Hours in Japan

Japan is famous for its long working hours, where the workday in some companies exceeds 12 hours. In both the private and public sectors, employees face pressure to stay in the office until their bosses leave and to log excessive overtime hours, which is seen as evidence of loyalty and diligence.

In recent years, Japan has witnessed prominent cases of "karoshi," or "death by overwork." The issue came to the fore in 2016 when Matsuri Takahashi, an employee at the advertising giant Dentsu, committed suicide after her overtime hours exceeded 100 hours a month. Her death prompted the government to impose a cap on overtime hours at 45 hours a month, which some experts believe has helped ease the pressure on work culture, particularly among young people.