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Very long and imposed holidays are what the most tired employees dream about. But in Japan, the prospect of an uninterrupted break to mark the emperor's abdication later this month was greeted with a mixture of horror and dismay.
Japan will begin this unprecedented party on April 27, a few days before Emperor Akihito abdicated to make way for his eldest son, Naruhito, whose Reiwa the reign will begin on May 1st. The holidays will end on May 6th.
Last December, Parliament pbaded a bill approving the break to celebrate the change in the occupant of the chrysanthemum throne, which coincides with the traditional "Gold Week" party of the beginning of the month. may.
The travel industry is a boon, with bookings for trips abroad – especially long-haul flights to Europe – already well beyond those of an average year.
"Most of our holiday tours were sold last year," said Hideki Wakamatsu, spokesman for Nippon Travel Agency, adding that many more people were on the waiting list. .
But not everyone is happy. Non-regular contract employees paid at the hour or the day worry about a loss of income, while some parents worry about how to keep their young children busy during the long pause.
"For parents in the service sector, the 10-day vacation is a headache. Daycare after school, nurseries, everything is closed, "said one worried parent on Twitter.
Many people simply do not know what to do with extra days off.
"To be honest, I do not know how to spend time when we are suddenly given ten days of vacation," said Seishu Sato, a 31-year-old finance industry employee.
"If you want to go on a trip, there will be people everywhere and the costs of the tour have skyrocketed … I could end up staying at my parents' house."
His doubts were reflected in a poll of Asahi newspaper in which 45% of respondents said that they "felt unhappy" about long vacations, while 35% said they "felt happy" ".
The holidays will force at least most employees to stay out of work and avoid the guilt that often accompanies long periods of leave.
Japanese workers take fewer annual paid holidays than their counterparts in comparable countries, according to a survey conducted late last year.
The survey, conducted by the online travel agency Expedia Japan, revealed that the Japanese took the shortest annual leave among workers in 19 countries and regions, a typical employee taking only 10 days off – half of its annual allowance – according to the business paper Nikkei.
Nearly 60% reported feeling guilty for taking paid leave, many of them citing disapproving leaders.
On Monday, Japan pbaded new laws setting a legal ceiling for long working hours as a result of an increase in cases of Karoshi – or death by overwork.
It has also revised the immigration laws to open the door to 340,000 foreign blue-collar workers over the next five years, with the aim of addressing a serious shortage of labor. .
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
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