In the mass consciousness, Japan is traditionally associated with a nation of workaholics. It seems all the more amazing Tokyo’s initiative to implement the “four-day”, so far for civil servants. The government initiative aims to support working mothers and promote the growth of the birth rate in the country. Starting in April, employees can receive three days off per week. An opportunity is also being introduced for parents of junior high school children to end the working day earlier for a reduced salary.
The governor of Tokyo emphasized the need to adapt working conditions so that employees do not leave their careers due to family circumstances – the birth or upbringing of children. She called for taking the initiative in solving the demographic crisis, which is aggravated by a record low birth rate.
Just 727,000 babies were born in Japan last year, and the birth rate fell to 1.2, well below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population. The government is actively looking for ways to stem the crisis, including encouraging men to take paternity leave.
Experts cite a rigid work culture and high cost of living as the reasons for the decline in birth rates. Long working hours often lead to health problems and even death due to overwork, which is called “karoshi” in Japan.
Why “four days” is becoming more and more popular in the world
This concept is attracting attention as an effective way to achieve a “life-work balance”, to increase the well-being of employees and even their productivity. However, for Japanese companies, where workaholism correlates with loyalty, such an idea seems innovative. Other Asian countries, including Singapore, are also beginning to implement policies aimed at improving conditions for workers.
The experience of several countries shows that the reduction of working hours has a positive effect on the working environment. For example, in 2015-2019, a study was conducted in Iceland, where employees worked four days a week without a reduction in wages. This has resulted in reduced stress, improved mental health and work-life balance. Now 6 out of 10 Icelanders can work part-time.
Spain is also experimenting with a four-day work week. The government introduced a three-year program where workers work 32 hours a week and receive full pay. The main purpose of the experiment is to assess the impact on productivity and employee satisfaction.
Two years ago, Belgium passed a law that allows employees to choose a “four-day shift” while maintaining the full length of working hours. More than half of Belgians took advantage of the new opportunities.
In Portugal, a pilot project was launched to test the new work schedule in 39 companies. In Germany, talks are underway to reduce working hours, and most workers support a four-day week. This model has already been partially implemented in the Netherlands and Denmark.
Ukrainian company YouScan introduced a four-day work week for the summer period, which led to increased team motivation and productivity. The experiment paid off: it did not reduce the productivity of employees, and even increased their motivation and creativity. In addition, employees noted significant improvements in mental and physical health, including reductions in stress and burnout symptoms.
The four-day work week has been shown to be effective in reducing stress, improving the quality of life of employees, and increasing productivity. Although this model is still in the experimental stage, it has the potential to become the new standard of operation in the future.
Measures to overcome the total demographic crisis
The birth rate in developed countries is declining, creating problems for society and the economy. For example, in Italy and Spain, the birth rate remains one of the lowest in Europe, being, like in Japan, about 1.2 children per woman. France shows better indicators – 1.8 children per woman, thanks to an active policy of family support. In Great Britain, this indicator is equal to 1.7, which is also below the threshold necessary for the stability of the population.
Outside Europe, the situation is even more critical. Thus, in South Korea, the birth rate fell to a record low of 0.7 children per woman. In the United States, this indicator decreased to 1.6, which is a historical minimum for the country.
In general, the average birth rate in developed countries has decreased over half a century from 3.3 to 1.5 children per woman. This is a concern because of the shrinking population, increased strain on pension systems and economic problems for future generations.
Governments are developing different strategies to solve this problem. For example, Japan actively encourages men to participate in raising children by encouraging paternity leave. This is aimed at reducing pressure on women and creating better conditions for increasing fertility.
Japanese specifics – tough work culture, high cost of living, gender inequality, death from overwork
The decline in birth rates in Japan and other countries is related to working conditions and high costs of living. Japan has a problem with a rigid work culture: long working hours, a high level of responsibility and the expectation of total loyalty to the company. Employees spend most of their time at work, sacrificing personal life, health and family responsibilities. Due to excessive employment, young people postpone starting a family or avoid it, fearing that they will not be able to combine work and raising children.
The phenomenon of “karoshi”, which means “death from overwork”, attracts special attention. People die because of stress and long working hours. Karoshi can cause heart attacks, strokes or suicides, which shows how deeply the problems of work culture affect society.
Another important factor is economic difficulties. In Japan, the high costs of housing, education and health care create a financial burden for young couples. Raising children is expensive, so many refrain from having a second child or even the first. Women who want to work and develop a career often face a lack of support, unavailability of kindergartens or flexible working conditions, which makes it difficult to combine work and family life.
Another aspect is gender inequality in the distribution of family responsibilities. In Japanese society, women mostly take care of children and do housework. Because of this, many women avoid starting a family, because they are afraid of losing their freedom and the possibility of career development. Only a small proportion of men take paternity leave, further exacerbating inequality.
To solve these problems, the Japanese government is introducing reforms to reduce the burden on workers and create favorable conditions for family life. Financial support for families is an important part of the reforms. The government is developing subsidy programs for young couples to reduce the cost of raising children, which is relevant with high prices for housing, education and health services.
Expanding access to kindergartens is also important. The construction of new institutions and the support of working parents make it possible to combine professional life with raising children, solving the problem of the shortage of places in kindergartens.
However, challenges remain. A culture that puts work first and the high cost of living discourage young people from starting families. The effectiveness of the programs is still limited, and their long-term impact remains to be assessed. Overcoming the demographic crisis is an important task for Japan, because without changes, the country may face serious consequences for economic and social stability.
Tetyana Viktorova
