Kanagawa Prefecture has begun formal discussions on a selective four-day workweek system for all employees. Prefectural Governor Kuroiwa Yuji announced the plan on the 4th.
The proposal aims to secure talent and prevent resignations by offering more flexible work options. The prefecture will conduct interviews and surveys in fiscal 2026. Officials will then decide whether to adopt the system as early as fiscal 2027.
A system that adds one more day off
The selective system allows staff to take an additional weekly day off if they maintain a total of 155 working hours over four weeks. Employees would shift working hours to other days. The prefecture states that salary levels will remain unchanged under this plan.
Japan’s national civil service already introduced this option. The 2023 National Personnel Authority recommendation supported the system. From this fiscal year, all national civil servants can use it. Other major local governments have moved ahead as well. Tokyo, Chiba, and Saitama already target all staff with similar initiatives.
Tokyo’s move shows both benefits and limitations
Tokyo has allowed employees to select a four-day workweek starting this year. National government employees already have the option of using a flextime system that lets staff take one weekday off every four weeks. Under the new approach, workers can secure 155 hours every four weeks and take one weekday off each week. This changes the pattern to four 10-hour workdays.
Governor Koike Yuriko of the Tokyo Metropolitan government called the reform a step to make the metropolitan government “easier to work in.” However, staff members have shown limited excitement. Some say the idea is “not a big deal” because the existing system already provides flexibility.
Tokyo’s decision is driven by intensifying competition for workers. The hiring ratio for the metropolitan government’s recruitment exam fell to 1.6 applicants per opening in fiscal year 2024. This was a drop of 0.8 points from the previous year. At the same time, major private companies have begun raising starting salaries, creating an even greater risk that young people will turn away from public-sector jobs.
One senior metropolitan official admitted that, much like the national civil service in Kasumigaseki, “Tokyo’s recruitment of new graduates has become tough, and I worry about what things will look like in 10 or 20 years.” How effectively the city presents itself as a supportive workplace may determine whether it attracts talent.
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Four-day workweeks have both pros and cons, experts say
The four-day workweek system itself comes in several forms. Some models keep total working hours the same by lengthening each workday. Others reduce working hours but maintain pay. A third approach reduces both hours and pay. Each version offers different advantages and drawbacks.
A 2023 survey by the career support service Mirai Torch highlights this divide. Among employees at companies with a four-day workweek, two-thirds support the system. Yet many report problems. Some said their workdays became so busy that they lost breathing room, while others reported that taking an extra day off caused communication delays that disrupted their tasks.
Economist Hoshino Takuya of Dai-ichi Life Research Institute says worker shortages increase employee bargaining power. He calls the selective four-day workweek a benefit that employers use to attract talent. He argues that employees value different things. Some want stable wages. Others want more control over pace. A workplace that allows multiple patterns can meet these diverse needs.
Hoshino expects adoption to grow. Yet he warns that large firms will lead the trend because they benefit more from efficiency gains through new technologies, including generative AI. Smaller companies may struggle to keep up. This could widen economic gaps unless policies support productive investment in smaller firms.
Study: rising demand for four-day workweeks
New data from Indeed Japan shows rapid growth in job postings that mention a four-day workweek. The share of such postings in May 2025 is 5.3 times higher than in May 2020. This rise accelerated through 2023 and 2024. The trend appears strongest in fields where remote work is difficult. Job postings in sectors like medical care, dentistry, and driving show high interest in a four-day workweek. Remote-friendly fields like software development show the opposite pattern.
Search behavior is rising as well. Searches for four-day workweek jobs increased 3.6-fold from May 2020 to May 2025. The highest search rates appear in Chiba, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Nara. These regions have dense labor markets and active policy reforms. Several of these prefectures already offer or plan to offer four-day workweek options for employees. Chiba began a selective four-day workweek for all staff in June 2024.
Indeed analysts link this trend to long-term government policy. The national growth strategy in 2021 encouraged selective four-day workweeks. Since April 2024, many local governments have followed. Persistent labor shortages also push firms to offer the system to boost recruiting power.
Japan’s earlier experiments with shorter weeks
Japan’s private sector has tested shorter workweeks for nearly two decades. IBM Japan began trials in 2005. Fast Retailing, the parent of Uniqlo, adopted a limited version in 2015. Yahoo! Japan tested a similar model in 2017. Toyota announced it would implement a four-day workweek by the end of 2024.
Some firms embraced the idea more recently. The company 600, which operates automated workplace convenience stores, offers all employees Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays off. That approach echoes global experiments. Microsoft Japan also ran a high-profile trial that earned global media attention.
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These cases shape the broader debate. They show both productivity gains and operational struggles. Their lessons inform public bodies that consider a four-day workweek today.
What Kanagawa Prefecture must decide
Kanagawa’s review arrives at a pivotal time. Worker shortages continue. Interest in flexible schedules grows. Local governments compete for younger talent. Kanagawa must now analyze needs, workload patterns, and practical barriers. The 2026 survey will play a central role.
The prefecture also must consider how staff handle longer shifts. Tokyo’s plan uses longer workdays to maintain total hours. Kanagawa may follow that approach, but officials have not yet confirmed details. Salary stability remains part of the plan, but operational impacts vary across departments.
Kanagawa’s final decision will depend on the 2026 findings.
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Sources
神奈川県「選択的週休３日」導入を検討、全職員対象に 早ければ２７年度から ２６年度にアンケート実施 livedoor News
東京都が「週休3日」導入へ 背景に採用低迷…民間が先行も制度に一長一短 産経新聞
週休3日求人数が5年間で5.3倍に、Indeed Logistics Today
フレックスタイム制の活用促進 内閣官房
