Proposals on reforming Prime Minister’s Office focus on leader’s time management

With parliament set to begin Oct. 5, the ruling and opposition parties are making final preparations for committee debates over bills Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government wants passed in the 69-day session scheduled to end Dec. 12. During parliamentary sessions, in particular, Japan’s prime ministers face a daily schedule that can stretch very late into the evening. In a July post on X, Takaichi complained, “getting zero to three hours of sleep a day has become my norm since I took office (last October).” The prime minister added that she was busy reading government documents and “handling thousands of emails” on Saturdays and Sundays.