Prime Minister runs Japan on just 3 hours sleep

©picture alliance / dts-Agentur | dts Nachrichtenagentur GmbH

Zzzzzz, some surprising news is coming out of Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has suddenly and unwittingly found herself in the spotlight after revealing that, since taking office, she has often slept only zero to three hours a night. Her confession on social media immediately sparked a debate in Japan about overwork, leadership, and the impact of chronic sleep deprivation.

Working late into the night

Takaichi wrote that five hours of sleep was already an exceptional amount for her. According to her, a large portion of her evenings and weekends is spent on government matters, stacks of emails, and even household chores such as laundry, ironing, and cooking. Critics warn, however, that so little sleep can impair judgment and thus pose a risk to crisis management. Opposition members also believe that a prime minister should devote their limited time to tasks that only the head of government can perform.

Debate on work culture

The controversy strikes a sensitive chord in Japan, where the debate over work pressure and work-life balance has been raging for some time. In a country known for its hard-working culture and the concept of karoshi—death from overwork—many view Takaichi’s attitude as a problematic example. The Japanese government tried to calm the storm by emphasizing that the tweet came from her personal account. At the same time, the cabinet spokesperson said that the prime minister does not deny the importance of work-life balance, but above all takes her duties seriously.

Takaichi seems to want to present her sleep schedule as proof of her dedication, but it backfired. Instead of admiration, she sparked a national debate over whether a leader who is chronically sleep-deprived is really the right person to lead a country.

©picture alliance / dts-Agentur | dts Nachrichtenagentur GmbH