Long Read: Japan Prime Minister Calls Staff At 3 a.m.
Sakae Takaichi, the new prime minister of Japan, called staff to a meeting at 3 a.m. This has shocked the West.
The reason is also shocking. She said that her fax machine at home was jammed. Most people outside of Japan stopped using fax machines 30 years ago. This is when internet usage became common.
Japan is infamous for extremely long working hours (and perhaps also inefficiency at work). The word for "death from overwork" is karoshi. This word is starting to be used in English too. The English Wikipedia page for "Worked to death" redirects to karoshi.
A 2016 report found that 21.3% of workers in Japan work 49 hours or more every week. The USA is 16.4%, 12.5 % in Britain and 10.4% in France. In Germany, the average person works just 26 hours per week. The World Health Organization say that working more than 55 hours per week is dangerous. It increases the chance of stroke by 35% and heart disease by 17%. If you are working long hours, it is more difficult to relax, think about eating healthily and get regular exercise.
Furthermore, a Stanford study found that working more than 49 hours reduces productivity. A worker working 70 hours does the same amount as a worker working 55 hours.
So, from the viewpoint outside of Japan, it is unthinkable to call a meeting at 3 a.m. because you can't use your fax machine...
Working hours around the world: https://ourworldindata.org/working-hours
WHO article: https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-long-working-hours-increasing-deaths-from-heart-disease-and-stroke-who-ilo
Stanford study on working hours and productivity: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qVfVF4zzYoIMdYmKbAzgOtKPL7x83_6x/view
prime minister: 首相
staff: スタッフ
to shock (v): 衝撃を与える（動詞）
shocking (a): 衝撃的な
the West: 西洋諸国
fax machine: ファックス機
30 years ago: ３０年前
to jam, is jammed: 詰まる、詰まっている
most people outside of Japan: 日本国外のほとんどの人
stopped using: 使用をやめた
when internet usage became common: インターネットの使用が一般的になったとき
infamous: 悪名高い
extremely long working hours: 極端に長い労働時間
and perhaps also: そしておそらく
inefficency at work: 仕事の非効率性
death: 死亡
overwork: 過労
to redirect: 方向転換する
worker(s): 労働者
Britain: イギリス
Germany: ドイツ
the World Health Organization: 世界保健機関
to increase the chance: 可能性を高める
stroke: 脳卒中
heart disease: 心臓病
difficult to relax: リラックスしにくい
think about eating healthily: 健康的な食事について考える
get regular exercise: 定期的に運動する
furthermore: さらに
reduce(s) productivity: 生産性を低下させる
do the same amount: 同じ量の仕事をする
from the viewpoint outside of Japan: 日本国外の視点から
unthinkable: 考えられない
to call a meeting: 会議を招集する
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