Tokyo gov't employees to get 4-day workweek option from April 2025

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government headquarters. (Mainichi/Makoto Ogawa)

TOKYO -- Gov. Yuriko Koike on Dec. 3 announced plans to introduce a system that would give metropolitan government workers the option to take three days off per week.

"We'll keep reviewing our work styles flexibly so that nobody has to give up their careers due to life events such as childbirth and child care," Koike remarked at the opening of the fourth regular session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in 2024.

The metro government sets its working hours at 155 over four weeks and has a flex-time system allowing many workers to choose when to start and finish their workdays. Currently, this system allows employees to take one weekday off per four-week period. Starting next fiscal year in April 2025, this will be changed to one weekday per week.

In her policy statement, Koike announced the start of a project to promote women's participation called "Women in Action," one part of which will be the introduction of a partial vacation system for parents of children in first to third grades of elementary school. The Tokyo government is also eyeing the passing of ordinances to promote women's participation.

The assembly's fourth regular session lasts 16 days, ending on Dec. 18. The question period for representatives is on Dec. 10 and an open question period is on Dec. 11. In total, 36 proposals to amend ordinances for things such as staff salary raises were submitted based on the recommendations of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Personnel Commission.