Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's admission that she gets zero to three hours of sleep a night has ignited a global debate about glorified overwork. Posting on X after a national holiday, she bragged about finally snagging five hours of sleep, treating rest as a luxury rather than a necessity — a mindset critics say fuels a dangerous "karoshi" culture where exhaustion is worn as a badge of honor.

Warming Up

The conversation is expanding beyond Japan into a broader...