Is there a 4-day week in Japan?
No, not as a national right or law. Japan's legal working week is 40 hours, but the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has let its own employees choose a three-day weekend since April 2025. In 2021 the Cabinet said it would encourage private firms to try a selective four-day week.
Its 2021 Basic Policy, said it would encourage private companies to introduce a "selective four-day workweek" by collecting and sharing good examples. It set no requirement. In December 2024 Tokyo's governor announced a four-day option for metropolitan staff, built on the flextime system. According to AFP, staff other than shift workers can take up to three days off a week but must still complete their full working hours, so the schedule compresses hours rather than cutting them. Nikkei Business reported that almost all staff are eligible, except shift-based and counter roles.
In the private sector, Microsoft Japan closed every Friday in August 2019 as a trial, with regular employees on paid leave. It reported sales per employee 39.9% above August 2018, but later moved that figure out of its direct results, saying it was not due to the trial alone.
Latest developments
Tokyo government staff can choose a three-day weekend
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government introduced its optional four-day week for staff, using flextime. Almost all employees are eligible, except shift-based and counter roles.
Nikkei Business: week of three days off, Tokyo and other local governments lead (opens in new tab)
4-day-week trials in Japan
What each pilot reported. Figures are the organiser's own, from the linked report.
Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019 (Microsoft Japan)
Run by Microsoft Japan
- Aug 2019 – Aug 2019
- 1 company
All offices closed on every Friday in August 2019, with regular employees on special paid leave. Microsoft Japan reported working days 25.4% lower than August 2018 and 92.1% of respondents rating the four-day scheme positively. A company-run trial, not an independent study.
Microsoft Japan reported sales per employee 39.9% higher than August 2018, then moved that figure out of its direct results "to avoid misunderstanding" (company's own claim; not attributable to the trial alone).
Microsoft Japan: results of the Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019 (opens in new tab)Jobs in Japan
Medical Manager
Biogen · Hybrid · Tokyo, Japan
Generous PTO
Who offers a 4-day week in Japan
We do not list a company with a 4-day week in Japan yet.
Suggest a companyHow Japan compares
Japan, the labelled dot, against the other countries we cover.
Average weekly hours
Joint 15th shortest of 25 countries, 0.2 hours above the median of 37.3.
Netherlands 31.3 to South Africa 42.3
See all 25 countries
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 31.3 |
| Denmark | 33.3 |
| Germany | 34.5 |
| Norway | 34.6 |
| Australia | 35.4 |
| Austria | 35.6 |
| Finland | 35.6 |
| Switzerland | 35.7 |
| Belgium | 36.0 |
| Ireland | 36.0 |
| United Kingdom | 36.3 |
| France | 36.9 |
| Sweden | 37.3 |
| Iceland | 37.4 |
| Japan | 37.5 |
| Spain | 37.5 |
| New Zealand | 37.6 |
| United States | 38.2 |
| Lithuania | 39.0 |
| South Korea | 39.4 |
| Brazil | 39.5 |
| Chile | 39.8 |
| Poland | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 40.0 |
| South Africa | 42.3 |
Usual weekly hours on the main job, all employed people, from the OECD (latest year, 2024 or 2025). It includes part-timers. No comparable figure for: Canada, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.
Statutory paid leave
Joint 23rd longest of 26 countries, 10 days below the median of 20.
United Kingdom 28 to United States None
See all 26 countries
| Country | Days |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Denmark | 25 |
| Finland | 25 |
| France | 25 |
| Sweden | 25 |
| Iceland | 24 |
| Brazil | 22 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Spain | 22 |
| Norway | 21 |
| Australia | 20 |
| Belgium | 20 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Ireland | 20 |
| Netherlands | 20 |
| New Zealand | 20 |
| Poland | 20 |
| Switzerland | 20 |
| Chile | 15 |
| South Africa | 15 |
| South Korea | 15 |
| Canada | 10 |
| Japan | 10 |
| Philippines | 5 |
| United States | None |
The legal minimum a year, in working days on a five-day week, before public holidays. Definitions differ: some countries set weeks or calendar days (converted here), the UK lets public holidays count and the United States has no national minimum. Each country page says what its number covers. No comparable figure for: Lithuania, United Arab Emirates.
Working in Japan
Working hours
The Labor Standards Act bars employers from having staff work more than 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day, excluding breaks. Under the work style reform law, in force from 1 April 2019 (1 April 2020 for small and medium-sized firms), overtime is capped at 45 hours a month and 360 hours a year in principle. In special circumstances the cap is 720 hours a year, under 100 hours in any month (holiday work included) and an average of 80 hours over several months.
The OECD puts average usual weekly hours at 37.5 for all employed people in 2025, which includes part-timers, and 44.1 for full-time workers. Since 1 September 2026 labour inspectors have stopped pressing firms with special agreements to hold to 45 hours a month; the statutory limits are unchanged.
Paid leave and holidays
After six months of continuous employment and attendance on at least 80% of working days, employees get 10 days of paid annual leave. Each further year of service adds days, up to a maximum of 20. Employers must make sure staff entitled to 10 or more days take at least 5 days a year. Employees must also get at least one day off a week, or four days in any four weeks.
Remote work
In the 2025 telework survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 16.8% of employees had teleworked in the previous year, and 25.2% had teleworked at some point.