Japan Curbed Excessive Overtime. A Labor Shortage Is Forcing a Rethink
As businesses struggle to find staff, safeguards meant to end Japan’s punishing work culture are being reconsidered.
Illustration: Seo-Young Kwon for Bloomberg
Behind the latticed wooden doors of a traditional inn in Kyoto, proprietor Hiroya Shimizu is scrambling. The 15-room Ryokan Gion Yoshi-ima, tucked in a lantern-lit alley in a historic district of the city, has been solidly booked for months. Between handling guest check-ins, making beds and arranging authentic local cuisine, Shimizu is desperate for more staff to help maintain the property’s old-world standards.
He wishes he could ask his 25 employees to work extra hours and knows some are eager to pad their paychecks. But he says his hands are tied by regulations that limit overtime — even as the streets outside bustle with a record influx of tourists.