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Tag - sleep

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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SLEEP

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a meeting on fundamental national policies at the National Diet in Tokyo last week.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 23, 2026
Cabinet spokesman defends Takaichi¡¯s grueling sleep schedule
The prime minister¡¯s social media post about being unable to get enough sleep drew criticism for running counter to workstyle reform efforts.
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Jul 19, 2026
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Around the world, human-induced climate change is at least partly to blame for a growing sleep deficit.
People in Japan get among the fewest hours of sleep in the world, with the OECD data showing that the average amount is 7 hours and 22 minutes ¡ª far shorter than the global average of 8 hours and 28 minutes.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Mar 17, 2026
Japan¡¯s health ministry to allow clinics to add sleep disorders as their specialties
The move aims to make it easier for people to find doctors who can treat insomnia and other sleep-related health issues.
Sleep quality and irregular sleep schedules were found to be strongly associated with declines in labor productivity, a research group says.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Feb 17, 2026
Study finds ?1 trillion annual economic loss from ¡®social jet lag¡¯ sleep problem
The mismatch between sleep patterns on weekdays and holidays is a large factor, according to a recent study.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) attends a session of the House of Councilors Budget Committee at the Diet in Tokyo on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Nov 14, 2025
Prime Minister Takaichi says she sleeps only 2-4 hours a night
The revelation about how little she sleeps came after Takaichi raised eyebrows last week by arranging a 3 a.m.?staff meeting in her office to prepare for a parliamentary session.
Takeda Pharmaceutical¡¯s experimental narcolepsy drug shows significant improvement in late-stage trials, potentially targeting the root cause of the disorder.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Sep 9, 2025
Takeda nears first therapy for root cause of narcolepsy
Patients who took the drug, called oveporexton, for 12 weeks experienced increased daytime alertness and an overall improvement in quality of life.
Experts say staying off your phone and sticking to a sleep schedule can help those who have trouble dozing off.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 2, 2025
Mark Japan¡¯s Sleep Day by making some lifestyle changes
The Japanese are not getting enough sleep. Luckily, everyone from scientists to Shohei Ohtani are offering solutions.
Daria Slavytska takes shelter inside a metro station with her 2-year-old son Emil during a Russian missile and drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 9.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 19, 2025
Sleepless in Kyiv: How Ukraine¡¯s capital copes with Russia¡¯s nighttime attacks
Russia¡¯s offensive is straining Kyiv¡¯s air defenses and has its 3.7 million residents exhausted and on edge.
Scientists are increasingly exploring mechanisms that can help the body adapt to rising temperatures affecting our sleep and leading to health complications.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 13, 2025
Scientists exploring how to beat heat for better sleep
The human brain is very sensitive to heat, with higher temperatures raising the body¡¯s central thermostat and activating stress systems.
People in Japan appeared to have the smallest difference between the amount of sleep they get on weekdays and weekends, suggesting the lowest incidence of social jet lag.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Mar 14, 2025
People in Japan get the least sleep, Pokemon study finds
Does that make Japan the land of the never-setting sun?
A survey found that there were gaps in many cases between people's self-assessments of sleep length and quality, and the results of analyses such as those by brain wave examinations.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 15, 2025
Over 40% of those content with sleep hours lack sleep, study shows
Meanwhile, some 66% of people surveyed who complained about insomnia, including difficulty falling asleep, had no problem.
Alarmo and other recent products reflect Nintendo's strategy of using its iconic intellectual properties to engage users while preparing for the inevitable transition to a successor console after the Nintendo Switch.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 24, 2024
Nintendo¡¯s latest device, the Alarmo, is a $100 wake-up call
Alarmo and other recent products reflect Nintendo¡¯s strategy of leveraging its iconic IPs to engage users as it prepares for the successor to the Nintendo Switch.
Capsule hotels were created as a way to deal with the amount of overwork employees tend to do in Japan. Can't commute home? Then spend the night in an tiny, affordable sleeping space.
BUSINESS / Tech / Longform
Oct 12, 2024
Japan wakes up to the market for a proper sleep
After years of sleep deficits and drowsy mornings, a growing number of products and services are being developed to help us rest easier.
People in Japan get some of the least sleep in the world, so when the rare time comes to turn in, many are turning to bedtime stories to drift off to sleep.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 12, 2024
Can¡¯t stop tossing and turning at night? Perhaps a bedtime story would help.
¡°Bedtime routines vary from family to family, from person to person,¡± says one researcher. ¡°It¡¯s important to find what works best for each person.¡±
Yamazen has released a portable air conditioner with a solar panel.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Aug 16, 2024
Japanese companies aim to help prevent nighttime heatstroke
To combat this summer's heat waves both day and night, companies are encouraging people to utilize products and services aimed at helping them avoid heatstroke while sleeping.
Across Japan, sports fans are sacrificing a good night¡¯s sleep to catch their favorite Olympics events and beloved athletes.
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2024
Sleepless in Japan: How to recover from ¡®Olympic fever¡¯
The Paris Olympics are just about done, so sleep-deprived sports junkies can take comfort in the fact that they¡¯ll soon be able to get a full night¡¯s rest.
Temperatures are soaring across Japan, making getting to sleep at night a constant battle between your body and the right setting for your air conditioner to help you nod off.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Boiling Point
Aug 2, 2024
An ideal AC temperature for sleep? Science says yes ... and no.
Keeping your room at 26 degrees Celsius can help you sleep through summer¡¯s steamy nights ¡ª but how long should you leave the AC on?
The percentage of working people who said they sleep seven hours or more has reached 52.4%, a significant increase from 27% in 1999, according to a survey conducted in April.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Jun 10, 2024
Japanese with lack of sleep reduced by half from 25 years ago
36.3% of working adults said that they sleep six hours, followed by 36.0% who said they sleep seven hours.
If it's too hot to do much (and the costs for air conditioning continue to surge) during the day, it might be time to consider shifting the bulk of our activities to cooler nighttime hours.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 6, 2024
A solution for scorching days: Do everything at night.
Working night shifts, however,?comes with a host of health problems, increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Chinstrap penguins in Orne Harbour in the western Antarctic peninsula in March 2016
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Dec 1, 2023
Antarctic chinstrap penguins get by on just secondslong micronaps
Falling asleep while guarding a nest can spell doom for the eggs and later the chicks, but the species has an ingenious way of getting enough sleep.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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