Known for Workaholism, Japanese PM Complains of Lack of Sleep

Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi, known for her workaholic nature, has complained about getting insufficient sleep and struggling to schedule her meals.

Takaichi’s complaints, as reported by Japan Today and Kyodo on Friday (24/4/2026), were made public by Japanese veteran politician Akira Amari after meeting her on Thursday (23/4) local time.

Takaichi’s tenure as Prime Minister of Japan has lasted the past six months. After being elected to lead the ruling party last October, which made her Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Takaichi promised to “work, work, work, work, and work”.

That statement by Takaichi became a slogan in Japan in 2025.

“I want to sleep longer,” the 65-year-old Prime Minister told Amari during their meeting at her office on Thursday (23/4). Amari, a former Minister of Trade, is also known as a close aide to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Takaichi moved into the official Prime Minister’s residence at the end of last year with her husband. The residence is located very close to the Prime Minister’s office.

In a parliamentary committee meeting earlier this April, Takaichi revealed that her sleep time was “quite short because I am busy with household chores” and “the remaining time is spent working”.

Takaichi also stated at that time that she tries to “bring as much work home as possible” because staying at the Prime Minister’s office keeps her aides and security guards on constant alert.

In February, Takaichi complained about food, saying: “I am not allowed to go shopping or order food from the official residence. If I run out of frozen food, that’s it.”