Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has drawn attention for her extremely limited sleep schedule since taking office in October 2025, raising concerns amid the country’s ongoing struggles with overwork and its related health consequences. The first female leader of Japan, Takaichi revealed this week that she typically sleeps between zero and three hours per night. On Monday, a national holiday, she allowed herself a rare five-hour rest, using the respite to catch up on personal chores.

Takaichi, known for a dynamic range of interests including drumming, motorcycling, scuba diving, and television hosting, has described her intense work ethic in terms that some experts warn could contribute to serious health risks. Japan has long grappled with the phenomenon of karoshi—death from overwork—often linked to heart attacks, strokes, or suicide attributable to excessive working hours. In 2025, the nation reported 145 cases in which families received compensation related to such deaths or illnesses.

Despite longstanding efforts by the government and other organizations to address work-related health hazards, efforts have made limited progress. Critics argue that Takaichi’s own embrace of extreme sleep deprivation may undermine broader initiatives to promote healthier work practices. Experts highlight that chronic lack of sleep poses significant risks to physical and mental health, including increased susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and cognitive decline. Sleep deprivation can also impair memory, judgment, and immune function.

Takaichi, 65, has cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as an inspiration, noting Thatcher’s reputed habit of sleeping around four hours per night during her tenure. However, some medical studies suggest that Thatcher’s minimal sleep may have contributed to dementia in her later years, underscoring the potential long-term risks of sustained sleep deficiency.

Japan continues to confront the challenges posed by a labor culture that often prizes endurance over well-being. As the country seeks solutions to reduce work-related health problems, the example set by its top political leaders remains a focal point for public debate.