Today's Close-Up S2024E14 - Bureaucrats in Distress: Why Japan's Government Officials are Stretched Thin

Japan's central government officials are feeling the strain, with thousands forced to put in more than 100 hours of overtime a month. It's a stark number that officially puts people at risk of death from overwork, with many opting to walk away from their careers instead. And it's not just a personal problem — a lack of officials and the growing burden being placed on individuals also threatens to impact the quality and accuracy of policy-making and negotiations, which could have an impact on ordinary people across the country. We speak with current government officials and experts to find out why the system allows them to be put under such pressure and what can be done to fix it.

Guests:
Sensho Yasuhiro (Former Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry bureaucrat)
Machidori Satoshi (Professor of Political Science, Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University)