A social media post by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about managing a heavy workload with "little to no sleep" has sparked debate in the country, with politicians from both the ruling party and the opposition questioning whether such a work style and public messaging are appropriate for the nation's leader.
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In an X post on Monday, Takaichi wrote that she had spent weekends since the beginning of the month reading "thick stacks of materials" from early morning until late at night, including the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform (the so-called "Big-boned Policy"), The Mainichi reported .
She highlighted her demanding schedule, saying she had been "wrestling with piles of documents" while getting little sleep.
Referring to the July 18-19 weekend, Takaichi wrote that she had been "swamped with work until early today (July 20)," reviewing final drafts of documents and processing several thousand accumulated emails. She added that since becoming prime minister, getting between zero and three hours of sleep had become "the norm".
On July 20, the final day of the three-day weekend, Takaichi said she had "managed to get as much as five hours of sleep for the first time in a while". She described the afternoon as "precious time" she could use privately, adding that from noon she tackled household chores, including ironing handkerchiefs and inner tops, as well as sewing.
The post, which appeared to highlight her lack of sleep, drew reactions from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, said at a news conference on Tuesday that a leader's role also involved delegating work so as to focus on tasks that only the top office-holder could handle. Referring to the possibility of outsourcing household chores, he added that Takaichi should get more rest and questioned whether her aides were providing enough support to help her make important decisions with a clear mind.
A source from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) remarked Takaichi's post reflected "a sense of impatience", adding that history would judge her approach to managing the demands of the prime minister's office. The source stressed the importance of having trusted aides who could be relied upon to take on responsibilities.
An opposition party executive, meanwhile, remarked they had "rarely seen the prime minister of a country make a show of not sleeping."
Sanae Takaichi became Japan's prime minister in October last year, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba, and became the country's first woman to hold the post.
