Episode Details

Japan is a nation so hardworking that the Japanese language has a term for working oneself to death. Now, the government is trying to deal with a labor shortage. 

日本是一个非常勤奋的民族，日语里有一个词是“拼命工作到死”的意思。现在，政府正在努力解决劳动力短缺的问题。 

One solution is to get more people and companies to accept four-day workweeks. The Japanese government first supported a shorter working week in 2021. Few companies have signed on, however. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said only about eight percent of companies permit three days off a week, while seven percent give their workers the required one day off. 

一种解决方案是让更多的人和公司接受每周四天的工作制。日本政府在 2021 年首次支持缩短每周工作时间。然而，很少有公司签署这一协议。厚生劳动省表示，只有约 8% 的公司允许每周休息 3 天，而 7% 的公司则为员工提供了一天所需的休息时间。

Hoping to get small and medium-sized businesses to change, the government started a "work style reform" campaign. It pushes shorter hours and other flexible plans for work along with paid time off and limits on overtime. The labor ministry recently started offering free services and resources to help companies make the change. 

为了让中小企业做出改变，政府发起了“工作方式改革”运动。它推动了更短的工作时间和其他灵活的工作计划，以及带薪休假和加班限制。劳动部最近开始提供免费服务和资源，帮助企业做出改变。

A ministry website explains the "hatarakikata kaikaku" campaign, which means "innovating how we work." It says that when workers can choose how they work, they will have a better outlook on the future and the economy will grow. 

部门网站解释了“hatarakikata kaikaku”活动，意思是“创新我们的工作方式”。它说，当工人可以选择自己的工作方式时，他们将对未来有更好的展望，经济也会增长。 

The department handling the new support services for businesses says only about three companies have asked for their advice. 

负责为企业提供新支持服务的部门表示，只有大约三家公司征求了他们的建议。 

Such changes will not come easily in the Japanese culture, where being a “workaholic,” or frequently working overtime, has long been highly valued. That is credited for the country’s national recovery and fast economic growth after World War II. 

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