Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi has once again stirred debate over work culture after saying she spends three to four hours more on household chores than her male predecessors.
Ms Takaichi, who has previously faced criticism for promoting an exhausting work culture, made the remarks on Wednesday while defending her limited parliamentary attendance.
Responding to a question from a ruling coalition lawmaker about the long hours traditionally spent in parliament by former Japanese prime ministers, Ms Takaichi suggested that being a woman placed additional demands on her time, on top of an already packed schedule.
“In the morning, I bathe, fix breakfast, and then wash dishes, not to mention apply makeup,” Ms Takaichi told parliament.
“I feel like I’m spending three or four more hours than male prime ministers doing these things.”
The remarks have once again drawn attention to the self-described workaholic's approach to work-life balance in a country that has long struggled with a culture of overwork.
Ms Takaichi has repeatedly spoken about her gruelling schedule, revealing that she sleeps just two to four hours a night and previously urging her party colleagues to “work like workhorses”.
“I do enjoy reading these piles of documents at midnight that I took home,” she said on Wednesday.
“But it is difficult for me to squeeze out time to buckle down and think with a clear head” about “the future direction of this country or my grand vision for it,” she said.
Her comments have drawn scrutiny in Japan, with critics arguing that the prime minister is promoting an unhealthy and outdated work culture in a country where excessive working hours have long been a serious concern.
She has also faced questions over working from home and said she is making greater use of her official residence next to her office to maximise efficiency.
Ms Takaichi has held or prepared for meetings as early as 3am and said she often works until dawn reading thick stacks of documents, preparing for parliamentary questioning and handling thousands of emails, including on weekends and public holidays.
In a widely shared post on X in July 2026, she noted that after a rare five hours of sleep, she felt refreshed enough to “dive back in and give it my all”.
In November 2025, Ms Takaichi was criticised by colleagues for summoning aides to review briefing materials at 3am ahead of a 9am parliamentary session.
Her latest comments came after Fumitake Fujita, a ruling coalition lawmaker from the Japan Innovation Party, raised concerns about the long hours Japanese prime ministers traditionally spend in parliament.
He cited data showing that a Japanese prime minister had attended parliamentary sessions on about 72 days during a recent period, compared with 50 days in the UK and 13 in Germany, and questioned whether this was efficient by international standards.
“The fact that our leader is confined for such long hours to parliament isn’t in line with the global standards.”
In a post on X in July, Ms Takaichi said she was “getting consumed until dawn with poring over documents brought home from work and those related to parliamentary questioning.”
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