Tokyo: Japan has selected the pledge by recently appointed prime minister Sanae Takaichi to ‘work, work, work, work, and work’ as the nation’s 2025 catchphrase of the year.
The decision has followed widespread debate over leadership style and expectations in a country long associated with demanding work routines and concerns over excessive overtime.
The promise was originally made shortly before Takaichi assumed office in October and has since become the most discussed of more than two dozen shortlisted expressions that reflected social and political themes across Japan. The selection committee has said the phrase resonated strongly with national conversations about labour culture, responsibility and public expectations of leadership.
Takaichi has attracted criticism after urging Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers to match the same level of commitment, stating that all members should ‘work like a horse’. The message has drawn objections from advocates campaigning against karoshi, a term used for deaths linked to overwork. Legal representatives working on such cases have argued that the comments risk normalising harmful practices in a country already known for long working hours.
Public attention has intensified after Takaichi acknowledged sleeping between two and four hours a night and after reports of a 3am meeting called at the prime minister’s residence. Critics have questioned whether such a model of commitment is sustainable and warned that it may send an unhealthy signal to workplaces across Japan.
While accepting the award, Takaichi has said the remarks were misinterpreted and stressed that the intention was to express determination rather than endorse overwork. Award organisers have noted that other shortlisted expressions represented major events or social concerns of 2025.
The second most popular phrase was ‘first female prime minister’, referencing the historic nature of the administration. Other notable contenders included ‘Trump’s tariffs’, ‘bear damage’ and ‘old, old, old rice’, which referred to the government’s decision to release stored grain from the 2021 harvest to manage rising prices.
A committee selects the winning phrase from a top-10 shortlist compiled by editors of the Yearbook of Contemporary Society. The award has previously been given to several political leaders, including Yukio Hatoyama in 2009 for ‘change of government’.
Takaichi’s communication style has continued to draw scrutiny during international appearances. At a Saudi-organised economic forum, the prime minister concluded a speech with a line from the manga series Attack on Titan, telling the audience to ‘shut your mouths’ and ‘invest everything in me’, a reference delivered as part of a cultural nod to Japanese media popular in the region.
Takaichi now faces significant pressure to attract investment and stimulate economic growth after Japan, the world’s fourth-largest economy, contracted during the third quarter. The government continues to outline plans to boost productivity, promote innovation and rebuild global investor confidence.
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