Japan wants workers to try 4-day workweek

(UPDATE) TOKYO — Japan, a nation so hardworking its language has a term for literally working oneself to death, is trying to address a worrisome labor shortage by coaxing more people and companies to adopt four-day work weeks.

The Japanese government first expressed support for a shorter working week in 2021 after lawmakers endorsed the idea. The concept has been slow to catch on, however; about 8 percent of companies in Japan allow employees to take three or more days off per week, while 7 percent give their workers the legally mandated one day off, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.