Japan's PM Takaichi Claims "0 to 3 Hours of Sleep": "Working Hard" vs. "Avoiding Parliament"

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing a mix of concern and criticism online after sharing details about her busy work schedule on social media, Kyodo News reported on July 21.

On the night of July 20, Prime Minister Takaichi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that "sleeping for 0 to 3 hours has become routine since taking office," describing her daily life of reading documents until dawn and squeezing in household chores.

She stated that throughout this month, she has spent her weekends "wrestling with mountains of paperwork," including reading and revising documents for the "Honebuto Policy," the government's basic policy for economic and fiscal management, as well as preparing for parliamentary Q&A sessions.

Regarding the previous weekend, she wrote, "I was busy working until dawn today (July 20) to review the final drafts of three documents ahead of the Cabinet decision and to process thousands of emails, but this afternoon was a precious time for myself."

Prime Minister Takaichi emphasized again that on weekdays, "the most I can do is return to the Prime Minister's Official Residence during my personal time to clean the bathroom, take a bath, wash dishes after meals, do laundry, and perform light cleaning," adding, "After that, I am busy in the late-night hours reading materials or parliamentary response documents until dawn."

She further noted that on the holiday of July 20, she "slept for 5 hours for the first time in a while and took care of ironing a large pile of handkerchiefs and underwear, and even did some sewing all at once."

July 20 was Marine Day, a public holiday in Japan.

Kyodo News reported that while some users on X and other online platforms have expressed concern for her health, saying she is "trying desperately hard," others have criticized her, calling it "an excuse to avoid appearing in parliament."

A Japanese government official expressed concern over the Prime Minister's remarks, stating, "This is not content that will gain much public sympathy."

(Photo: Getty Images Korea)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.