Work interval system yet to take root in Japan

The work interval system requires a minimum rest period between the end of one workday and the start of the next. | JOHAN BROOKS

Jiji

Oct 28, 2026

Whether to make a work interval system mandatory has become a key issue as the Japanese government considers revising working-hour regulations.

Companies are currently only required to make efforts to introduce the system, which has yet to take root in Japan, with an adoption rate of just 6.9%.

Under the system, employees are required to have a certain number of hours of rest between the end of one workday and the start of the next.

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