The Premium Friday campaign aimed at boosting consumer spending by encouraging people to finish work early on the last Friday of every month marked one year since its launch on Friday.
The campaign is struggling to take root despite becoming widely known. With only a small number of people able to finish work early, the intended effect of shoring up personal consumption has been limited.
Spreading the initiative among small and midsize companies and in regional areas is also proving a challenge. The campaign, jointly launched by the government and businesses, will likely need steady efforts in its second year.
The Premium Friday Committee, comprising government and industry officials, held an event at the National Art Center in Tokyo's Roppongi district on Friday morning to mark the first anniversary of the campaign's launch.
"So far, we've called on service providers and companies to take part in the campaign," said Kunio Ishizuka, a vice chair of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren). "In the second year, we want individual workers to use Premium Fridays as an opportunity to try new things."
About 90 percent of 2,000 respondents to a survey conducted by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and other entities know about the Premium Friday campaign. As of Feb. 16, applications to use the campaign logo at stores and other locations nearly doubled to 8,182 from the initiative's launch.
However, according to the survey, an average of only 11 percent of people said they were able to finish work early on the last 12 Premium Fridays. Only 22 percent of the about 1,130 companies that took steps to boost sales on Premium Fridays said they saw positive effects.
The retail and service industries have been hesitant to take advantage of the campaign. Opinions such as, "We're busier at the end of the month. It's not realistic to leave early" are persistent. A labor shortage has also prevented the campaign from taking root.
Under these circumstances, the government plans to consider operating the campaign flexibly, such as by changing when it is implemented.
Takayuki Miyajima, a senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute, said, "It's essential to push ahead with promoting work style reforms, such as by creating a working environment that makes it easier for people to finish work early -- not simply by touting the Premium Friday campaign."
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