They will have 10 days off and do not know what to do: the "drama" of Japanese workers for the abdication of the emperor

The abdication of the Japanese emperor, scheduled for April 30, is one of the country's most important events and the expectation is monumental. Preparations do not stop and Japan will stop following this crucial moment. But he put a dilemma for Japanese workers: what to do with so much free time?

"To be honest, I do not know how to pbad the time when suddenly we have 10 holidays"admitted Seishu Sato, a 31-year-old finance employee, who said he was likely to spend time with his parents.

Does the festival join the traditional Golden Week, a series of free days in early May. Traveling is almost excludedsince the prices of the tourist agencies are through the roof and practically exhausted for months.

What in other latitudes of the planet would be a celebration, in Japan it is taken reluctantly. A newspaper survey Asahi Shimbun indicated that only 35% of respondents are "satisfied" with the holidays, whereas 45% said they were dissatisfied with the 10 days.

Takeru Jo, a 46-year-old pizza worker, offered another perspective: "We can not be free, on the contrary, we will be very busy". In turn, several parents complained on Twitter about the complications of closing schools and daycares, which they consider a "headache".

In turn, workers who earn a day or an hour of work regretted what would be a reduction in their income.

In any case, the case is not only monetary or family. Various statistics indicate an underlying theme: the lack of ability to relax.

The Ministry of Health, Employment and Welfare reported that only Japanese workers they usually take about eight days of vacation a year, less than half of what they are entitled to. And not only that: when they are away from work, they do not like it. According to a portal survey Expedia made in 2017, 60% of Japanese travelers felt guilty of having asked for a vacation.

This week, Japan has created a labor reform which aims, finally, to limit the days and to face a striking problem: the "Karoshi"the death of overwork. During the 2015-16 fiscal year, the government recorded a record 1,456 cases. Activists say real rates could be even higher.

(With information from AFP)