Japanese Work Hours

Abstract

It is well known that work hours are long in Japan and, since the oil crises, there has been no effort for them to be shortened. However, as to why this is so, there are a number of explanations, for example, the powerless-worker thesis which points to the exploitation of workers and weak labor unions, or the praising of Japanese workers' industriousness, arguing that their love for working makes long work hours a virtue. Let us begin our discussion by identifying seven curious points about work hours in Japan.