Study: Japanese Businessmen Fit Their Stereotype

We’ve all seen the stereotype of the Japanese businessman who doesn’t make time for much of anything but work.  It turns out that, at least in one category, the stereotype might be true.  According to a new study of people in five of the largest cities in the world, Japanese businessmen get the least amount of sleep.

The survey, conducted by a Japanese food seasoning maker (we don’t know why), looked at habits of people in Tokyo, Stockholm, Paris, Shanghai, and New York City.  Individuals in Tokyo get the least amount of sleep in the group, averaging less than six hours per night during the week.

Long commutes for Japanese workers may be part of the problem, although the survey found that commutes for New York workers are almost as long.  When asked what was most important in their lives, Japanese respondents gave “sleep” the top ranking.  Respondents from Paris gave the same answer, despite averaging nearly seven hours of sleep per night during the week.

Source: TODAYonline