AFP, Tokyo :
Japan’s Prime Minister will spend Friday afternoon meditating while staff at some of the country’s biggest firms are also quitting work early-in time for a bit of shopping or maybe a boozy train ride.
Welcome to Premium Friday, Japan’s latest bid to tackle two perennial problems — sluggish consumer spending and notoriously long working hours blamed for a national health crisis known as karoshi, or death from overwork.
The work-life balance campaign, which launches this week, calls on employers to let staff off around 3:00 pm on the last Friday of every month.
Major firms such as automakers Nissan and Toyota, beverage giant Suntory and brokerage Nomura are taking part in the government-backed scheme.
Thousands of other firms are offering promotions to workers who will have a bit of extra time on Fridays.
Mobile carrier SoftBank is letting staff quit early and, later this year, will be putting an extra 10,000 yen ($90) in their pockets.
One railway operator is offering a special train ride with beer and bento boxes, while off-early workers can also get discounts on everything from matchmaking services to cancer checks.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe will be taking it down a notch by spending the afternoon at a Zen meditation temple, followed by a music concert.
So says top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga who is also kicking off early — as soon Friday’s press briefing was done.
“Unfortunately I have to hold this press conference at your request,” he told reporters in Tokyo.
