Despite administrative efforts to cut overtime, a recent survey finds that unreduced workloads mean most schoolteachers in Japan continue to put in long shifts.
More than 10 Hours Daily the Norm
A survey in Japan has found that 80% of schoolteachers report working an average of 10 or more hours each day, with one in four working over 12 hours. With an average daily shift of 11.05 hours, the results show that exceeding the legally mandated 8-hour workday remains the norm. The survey was conducted online from May through July 2026 on a platform for educators run by the publishing company Shōgakukan, receiving 2,672 valid responses, of which 2,560 were from active teachers.
Among the teachers surveyed, 64.6% said that they take almost no breaks in the course of a day. The percentage shoots up to almost 85% when teachers who break for less than 15 minutes are included. The survey results show that a mere 0.2% of the teachers are taking breaks amounting to at least 60 minutes, as stipulated under Japan’s Labor Standards Act.
Teachers made comments such as, “While the children are there, I can’t take my eyes off them for a second,” and “Even during spare moments and after school, I have to attend meetings or deal with parents, so I have no time for myself.”
The survey also revealed that around half of the respondents have to take work home at least three days a week, with the most common response being “almost every day.” Teachers voiced frustration over the disconnect between official policies and the reality on the ground, sharing comments such as: “The workload is simply too much, yet we face constant pressure to slash our overtime,” and “We hear baffling praise from the prefectural board of education on how ‘workstyle reform is moving forward’ and effectively reducing teachers’ overtime.”
In addition, nearly 90% of the teachers surveyed do work on their days off, with more than 60% reporting that they have to do work on a weekend or holiday at least three or four days a month.
Despite such tough working conditions, around 70% of the respondents said that they continue to work as a teacher because they find joy and satisfaction in watching students develop and seeing them smile and enjoy themselves.
- Data from survey of schoolteachers’ working conditions (Japanese) from the web platform Minna no kyōiku gijutsu (Educational Skills for Everyone) run by Shōgakukan.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)
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