No more overworked Japan? New figures show employees clock fewer hours

Japan’s reputation as a nation where employees put in brutally long hours may have to be reassessed, according to recent official statistics showing that they work fewer hours on average than Americans, Canadians and Italians. While the figures appear to show that the Japanese government has finally succeeded in pressuring companies to combat the problem of karoshi, or death by overwork, analysts and employees suggest the figures may not be entirely comparable with those of other nations. The...

By Julian Ryall