Working late, falling asleep on trains due to exhaustion and getting drunk to release tension from work might still be the typical image of the "salaryman."
This country is notorious for a culture of overwork. Employees who stay late are still praised for hard work while others are frowned upon for leaving before their bosses do. Many even feel guilty about taking paid holidays. Karōshi, death from overwork, is a word now known worldwide.
In a bid to change long-held working behaviors, a labor reform law was introduced in late June, setting a legal cap on overtime as one of its pillars.