Working for Balance - Part 4

Japan's Balancing Act

The NBR series and special Working for Balance examines business efforts to embrace the work-life balance philosophy. In this report, Lucy Craft finds out how some Japanese firms are trying to fight the nation's culture of workaholism.



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External Links/Articles*

• Fast Retailing
  Fast Retailing is a retail group based in Japan. The company's work-life balance initiatives are profiled in Lucy Craft's report. This links to the "For Our Employees" section of the company's website.
• Japan's Gender Equality Bureau (PDF Document)
  This links to March 2007 remarks made by Japan's Minister for Gender Equality. A section of the remarks focus on efforts to achieve a greater work-life balance in Japan.
• Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development
  This Japanese agency helped lead the productivity movement in Japan, but, as this section of the website indicates, the center now includes The Council for Promotion of Work-Life Balance."
• Japan's Research Institute of Economy, Trade, & Industry (RIETI)
  This links to a September 2006 discussion paper authored by Kazuo Yamaguchi. The paper is titled, "Marital Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance: A viewpoint Indispensible to Mitigating Fertility Decline."

*Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.