Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday reaffirmed his vow to end the entrenched corporate culture of overwork but stopped short of setting a timeline for legislation or promising to require a rest period between shifts.

¡°It is a matter of fact that we seek to rectify the tendency toward overwork,¡± Abe told the Upper House Budget Committee. ¡°Doing so will help enrich the way workers lead their lives and ensure that the tragedy of karoshi (death from overwork) will not be repeated.

¡°Such a reform will also boost productivity,¡± he added. ¡°This is the direction we will be taking.¡±