Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sparked public concern after revealing that she typically sleeps only zero to three hours a night since taking office.
In a social media post describing how she spent a recent public holiday weekend, Takaichi said she managed to get five hours of uninterrupted sleep for the first time in a long while.
She explained that her weekdays are consumed by official duties, while her limited personal time is spent completing household chores such as cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry and tidying up.
After finishing those tasks, she said she continues working until dawn by reading official documents from the Prime Minister’s Office and preparing for parliamentary question sessions.
Takaichi added that any remaining free time is used to iron handkerchiefs, catch up on laundry and repair clothing.
Her comments quickly triggered a nationwide debate over whether Japan’s leader is getting enough rest to effectively carry out her responsibilities.
Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki said the prime minister should prioritise her health and questioned why her staff were not providing greater support to reduce her workload.
“She should rest more. Her team should create an environment where she can make important decisions with a clear and refreshed mind,” he said.
However, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ayano Kunimitsu defended Takaichi, saying every leader has unique personal circumstances and that the public should appreciate the responsibilities that come with high office.
Japan has long been known for its demanding work culture, where long working hours are common and cases of “karoshi”, or death caused by overwork, have been documented for decades.
Official figures show that hundreds of deaths each year in Japan are linked to overwork, including strokes, heart attacks and suicides.
Takaichi has previously faced criticism for reportedly calling meetings with aides as early as 3am. When she became prime minister, she declared that she would set aside work-life balance and instead focus on “work, work, work.”
Sleep experts warned that consistently sleeping only a few hours each night could have serious consequences.
University of Queensland researcher Professor Bruno van Swinderen said someone maintaining such a schedule would be severely sleep-deprived.
He explained that while deep sleep helps repair the brain, insufficient rapid eye movement (REM) sleep can impair emotional regulation, decision-making and cognitive flexibility.
Van Swinderen said the lack of adequate sleep is especially concerning for national leaders, whose roles require clear judgment and emotional stability.
Takaichi joins a list of world leaders known for limited sleep, including former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, French President Emmanuel Macron, and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, all of whom have reportedly functioned on around four to five hours of sleep per night.
