"I sleep between zero and three hours": controversy in Japan over the prime minister's exhausting sleep schedule

TokyoMonday was Sea Day in Japan, a holiday when many people flee the summer heat by swimming, surfing and relaxing on the beach. But not Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Ms. Takaichi spent the holiday weekend re-reading political documents and tackling thousands of backlogged emails, according to a Tuesday social media post. She wrote that she managed to eke out "about five full hours of sleep for the first time in a long time," which was a vast improvement on the hours she says she is accustomed to sleeping – "between zero and three hours." And she added that she devoted her scant free time to ironing underwear, mending worn skirts and reinforcing loose jacket buttons.

With her comments, Ms Takaichi seemed eager to present herself as a down-to-earth leader who works tirelessly on behalf of Japanese citizens. Instead, her post, which has been viewed more than 31 million times, has sparked a national debate about work-life balance and the dangers of sleep deprivation.

Toru Kunishige, an opposition lawmaker, warned that prolonged sleep deprivation "impairs judgment—much like a state of intoxication—and could pose a risk to national crisis management."

Hiroyuki Konishi, another critic of Ms Takaichi in Parliament, called for her resignation, saying, "The prime minister's real job is to set political direction and give instructions, not to examine a document down to the last detail."

Yuichiro Tamaki, the leader of a populist conservative party, described Ms Takaichi as a hard worker, but added that "resting is also work."

Some commentators argued that Ms Takaichi, the first woman to hold the position of prime minister in Japan, should receive more support in her role. While previous leaders often relied on the help of their wives at home, Ms Takaichi appeared to be taking on more domestic duties, according to Yoko Iwama, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.

"Establishing a support system that allows whoever holds Japan's top post to focus entirely on their duties—without having to manage household tasks personally—would contribute to the advancement of women in society," Ms Iwama wrote in the Nikkei, a prominent business newspaper.

Ms Takaichi has been accelerating her pace lately to push through her legislative priorities before Parliament breaks for its summer recess on Saturday. She is also battling ongoing economic hardship—the yen has seen a historic 39-year low—and a recent dip in popularity, although her approval ratings remain relatively high.

Ms Takaichi's allies have come to her defense, praising her for offering a candid glimpse into the pressures of juggling work and personal commitments.

Ayano Kunimitsu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that Ms. Takaichi, like other politicians, faced pressure to deal with domestic tasks on her own.

"Everyone has their own circumstances and backstage stories," Ms. Kunimitsu wrote on X. "I would appreciate it if you could understand."

Japan is known for its long working hours, which in some companies exceed twelve hours. In business and public administration, workers suffer the pressure of having to stay in the office until their superiors leave and accumulate excessive amounts of overtime, as it is considered a sign of loyalty and diligence.

In Japan, there have been high-profile cases in recent years of karoshi, or "death by overwork". The issue came to the public agenda in 2016, when Matsuri Takahashi, an employee of Dentsu, the advertising giant, committed suicide after working more than 100 overtime hours per month. Her death prompted the government to set a limit of 45 overtime hours per month, which according to some experts has helped to soften the work culture, especially for young people.

Since entering politics in the 1990s, Ms. Takaichi, who aspires to be a transformative leader, has made her work ethic a central part of her identity. Upon taking office as prime minister last year, she promised to "work, work, work, work, and work."

This is not the first time her habits have come under scrutiny. In November, she was criticized for summoning her collaborators at three in the morning. She later explained that her home fax machine had broken and she needed her team's help to go to another office to prepare for a meeting.