Japan's long workdays contribute to low birth rate
Twice a week at electronics giant Canon's headquarters in Tokyo, employees are sent home early, by Japanese standards, with one imperative: Go home and make babies.
In Japan 12-hour workdays are the norm, which doesn't leave much time for family, and are contributing to the country's low birth rate.
The birth rate of 1.34 is well below the 2.0 needed to maintain Japan's population, according to the ministry of health, labour and welfare. The population is also aging faster than any other in the world.
Even in the face of the recession, many companies are being asked to try and fix this major problem. Keidanren, the country's largest business group with 1,300 corporations as members, has asked its members to let workers go home early to spend time with their families and start to increase the birth rate.
Canon's twice weekly 5:30 p.m. "Lights Out" program is just one part of Canon's birth planning program, said a company spokesman. The early shut-down has the added benefit of saving the company money in overtime costs during the recession.
