Japan: The reduction in working time: An unfinished cultural revolution

A leader in many spheres, Japan is also the country where working hours are longest, despite the reduction initiated in 1960. The article shows how attitudes to work are noticeably different among different generations and that young people in particular do not share the respectful attitude of their parents towards working life. But the extremely rigorous work ethic remains alive. The result is that working time—according to all measures—has not gone down so effectively. In addition to examining trends in the reduction of working hours, the article provides a description of the functioning of Japanese society, identifying in the process those features which distinguish it so fundamentally from European societies.