In Japan’s corporate culture, hard workers who have a strong sense of responsibility are left to bear the burden. Overwork problems can’t be solved at the individual level.

It's true. If we want this problem solved Japanese managers will have to quit sucking through their teeth and get off their asses and manage.

I am sorry for her husband, however, one has to defend oneself and not rely on being saved. If the job is unreasonable then you can quit.

Unfortunately, quitting is not that easy. This is Japan, where companies hire young people, and promote by seniority. Leaving one's company is not something "loyal" workers do, and finding a new job with the same pay and responsibilities is not that easy. The best thing to do is stop working hard, and become like the other deadwood. Japan's labor laws are so strict that you cannot be fired for simply not working, hell, you cannot even be denied promotions for not working, which is why there are so many terrible managers.

Other developed countries moved to performance oriented systems long ago, where hard work and good ideas are rewarded with promotions and higher pay. Here in Japan there is no incentive to work hard or perform, so many people don't. Then you end up with companies full of people who do relatively little work, and, as a result, have to work longer hours to get tasks done.

My wife used to work at a large American company in Tokyo run by a Japanese managing director. The director was fired one day for unknown reasons, and a replacement was brought from London to replace him. The new director looked at how much work the department was putting out, and the amount of time workers were on the clock, and was flabbergasted. Most workers stayed until 10 or 11 every day.

The new director required that all staff must complete their work, and leave no later than 7. The staff were horrified, and many began thinking about resigning, and finding another place to work, because they could not possibly do so much work in so little time. But they found that they were wrong, and within only a few months they were doing as much work in 9 hours per day as they had when they were working 12 or more hours.

Hire people from China. They will eventually bring a change in Japan's work culture. The Supply will meet the Demand.

Japanese people are not capable enough to bring about this change in work culture by themselves. No zangyou day, happy friday etc are list of past failures to say the least. This problem has been around for several years now. Time to think different.

100 hours overtime limit is a super crazy idea in itself!!