Are Software Engineers in Japan Really Overworked? Work Style Reform and the Current State of the IT Industry
Japan has long been criticized for its culture of long working hours, even coining the term "karoshi" (death from overwork). As a result, many people from overseas have developed an image that "software engineers in Japan work extremely long hours." But how accurate is this perception in today's Japan? This article examines the historical context of working conditions, progress in work style reforms, and characteristics of the IT industry to determine whether working as a software engineer in modern Japan really means being overworked.
Historical Context: Long Working Hours and Low Vacation Usage
Japan's working hours were significantly longer than those in Western countries until the 1980s, a period when such long hours were criticized as "social dumping." Following amendments to labor standards laws that introduced a 40-hour work week, working hours gradually decreased. However, until recently, practices such as "staying at the office after official hours is expected" and "paid leave exists but is difficult to take" persisted. Vacation usage rates remained low for many years, and many workers believed that taking parental leave would negatively impact their career advancement.
The Push for Work Style Reform
From the 2010s onward, criticism of long working hours intensified, and tragic incidents—such as a young employee at a major advertising company who died after working extreme overtime—shocked society. Against this backdrop, the government enacted "Work Style Reform Related Laws" in 2018, establishing caps on overtime hours and mandating paid leave usage to address long working hours and promote vacation usage. Companies were required to strictly manage working hours, with penalties imposed on violators.
Current Reality of Working Hours
In recent years, Japan's average working hours have been declining over the long term, approaching levels where they are no longer notably longer than other developed countries, unlike the 1980s. Following work style reforms, many companies have implemented "no overtime days" and promoted paid leave usage, resulting in reduced overtime and improved vacation rates. However, long working hours persist in some industries and companies, and complete elimination has not yet been achieved.
Is the IT Industry Overworked?
How do software engineers in Japan compare to other industries? Japan's IT industry can be broadly divided into "contract development (System Integrators/SIers)" and "in-house development," with significantly different cultures and working styles.
Differences Between SIers and In-house Development
Contract development companies (SIers) build systems for clients under contract, typically using waterfall processes and hierarchical subcontracting structures. This model emphasizes documentation and client negotiations, with engineers often working to meet deadlines, which can lead to significant overtime depending on projects.
In contrast, in-house development companies can control their own development lifecycle, allowing many to better prioritize work-life balance.
For those wanting to learn more about the differences between SIers and in-house development companies in Japan, please refer to this article.
Flexibility in IT Industry Working Styles
The IT industry tends to be more accepting of Western-style work practices. In my observation, environments that force excessive hard work or unreasonable long hours are becoming increasingly rare year by year.
Particularly in companies that employ multinational staff, this trend is stronger, and you likely don't need to worry excessively about being forced into traditional Japanese work practices.
Why the "Japan is Overworked" Image Persists
Memories of Past Long Hours and Reform Triggers: The memory of long working hours and tragic karoshi incidents from the 1980s and 1990s continues to cast a shadow over Japan's work culture. Particularly, the death of a young employee at a major advertising company from overwork shocked society and became a catalyst for accelerating work style reforms.
Reform Still in Progress: While reductions in long working hours and improvements in vacation rates have shown some results, long hours haven't been completely eliminated, and challenges remain, such as increased burdens on management.
Variations by Industry and Company: Working hours and styles vary significantly by industry and company size. Contract development companies are more susceptible to client deadlines, with overtime tending to increase during busy periods. Meanwhile, in-house development companies and foreign-affiliated firms tend to have remote work and flexible schedules in place, strongly emphasizing Western-style work-life balance. (Of course, culture varies by company, so generalizations should be made carefully.)
Conclusion: No Need to Worry Excessively, but Company Selection is Important
Whether software engineers in Japan are overworked varies greatly depending on the era and type of company. Since the 2018 work style reforms, legal caps have been placed on overtime hours, and average working hours have approached levels that aren't notably longer than those in other countries.
While differences exist among companies, particularly in the IT industry—especially among in-house development companies and global firms—Western-style work practices such as remote work and agile development are spreading. The era when long hours and excessive hard work dominated Japan's entire IT industry is becoming a thing of the past. Software engineers considering working in Japan should thoroughly research a company's business model (contract development vs. in-house development), working style systems (availability of remote work and flexible hours), and choose companies that align with their preferences.