Controversy in Japan over a working meeting held by the Prime Minister at three in the morning

TokyoThe Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae TakaichiShe is known for being a tireless worker. She often avoids social gatherings and openly rejects the idea of work-life balance. But even by her own standards, she surprised everyone by leaving her Tokyo residence shortly after 3 a.m. to convene a meeting with advisors before an appearance before Parliament.

The meeting, held last Friday, has been dubbed the "3 a.m. study session" by Japanese media and has generated controversy in the country. The issue is particularly sensitive in Japan, where in recent years there have been several high-profile cases of karoshior "death from overwork."

Some critics argue that the meeting, which involved several advisors and lasted about three hours, encourages unhealthy work habits. Others believe Takaichi is placing unnecessary burdens on her team. Yoshihiko Noda, former prime minister and leader of the main opposition party, called the decision to convene the meeting "crazy." When he was prime minister, between 2011 and 2012, he started work around 6 or 7 a.m. "She can work, but she shouldn't involve other people. At that hour everyone is in bed. It's a very sad attitude for the country's top leader," Noda said in an interview.

Takaichi, the first woman to hold the office of prime minister in Japan, has attempted to explain the circumstances of the meeting. He noted that his home fax machine was jammed—faxing is still a common means of communication in Japan—and decided to go to the official residence, where he has not yet moved, to review documents before a budget meeting at the Diet, the Japanese Parliament, scheduled for 9 a.m.

Acknowledgment of "inconvenience"

On Friday, outside Parliament, Takaichi acknowledged that the early morning preparations had "caused inconvenience" to her staff. But she defended the need to meet so early to rewrite responses for lawmakers on various issues. Takaichi's supporters have come to her defense. Some members of the Liberal Democratic Party have blamed opposition lawmakers for submitting questions too late. "Even a tireless worker like Takaichi wouldn't want to be at work at 3 a.m.," wrote lawmaker Midori Matsushima in X. Some business leaders have also supported the prime minister, saying they don't understand the uproar over her work habits. Kenji Koshio, CEO of Shindenki, a small electronics company in Kobe, pointed out on his blog that soldiers, police officers, firefighters, and medical personnel work tirelessly. "Why shouldn't Japan's prime minister?" he asked. The controversy comes as Japan considers relaxing the maximum limits on overtime hours, a measure Takaichi has recently supported. The current limit of 45 overtime hours per month was established in 2019 following the death of Matsuri Takahashi, an employee of Dentsu—a global advertising, public relations, and communications company—who committed suicide in 2016 after exceeding 100 overtime hours per month. Takaichi has advocated for allowing more overtime, considering it an important source of income, but has stressed that it should not jeopardize workers' health. "I do not approve of overtime that leads to death from overwork," he recently stated before the Catalan Parliament. "I am concerned that a reduction in overtime pay will lead people to take on unfamiliar side jobs and put their health at risk to earn a living."

Since entering politics in the 1990s, Takaichi has made work ethic a central part of his identity. During his campaign, he promised to eliminate any work-life balance if elected: "I will work and work and work and work," he said. His comments were criticized by relatives of people who died from overwork, who accused him of setting a bad example.

Since his inauguration just three weeks ago, Takaichi has had a particularly busy schedule. welcomed President Trump's visit to Japan and has participated in meetings in Malaysia and South Korea.

Shigeaki Koga, a former economic official, said he could understand Takaichi's hectic first few weeks, but recommended that she follow her predecessors' practice of holding meetings only after 7 or 8 a.m. "Three in the morning is too early, no matter what," he said. Koga added that probably no modern leader gets complete rest, but it is crucial not to place unnecessary burdens on the team. "The prime minister can't relax. But it's best to work hard in secret," he concluded.

© The New York Times