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Lost Sleep Is Costing Japan's Economy Billions
Japan loses up to $138 billion a year, study finds
A man takes a nap in Tokyo.
Photographer: Junji Kurokawa/AP PhotoThis article is for subscribers only.
Sleep deprivation is doing more harm in Japan than just making people grumpy and unhealthy. It is also holding back the world’s third-largest economy.
The problem has been getting worse in recent years. Nearly half of full-time workers say they don’t get enough sleep, citing long overtime hours as a primary reason, according to a government white paper on “karoshi”-- death from overwork.