Time Off and Japan: A Culture of Leisure that Lost Its Way
Foreword to the Japanese version of the international bestseller Time Off
I could feel the excitement in the room. Everyone’s faces had lit up, eyes sparkling, dreaming of lives filled with vitalizing leisure, supercharged productivity, and a pervasive sense of joy and calm. The general consensus seemed to be “this is amazing, I want to live and work like this!”
But, after a brief pause, I saw the smiles turn into frowns, and over and over again I started hearing the same sentiment: “It would never work for us.”
The situation I am describing took place in 2019. As John, Mariya and I were working on the initial draft of Time Off, we regularly tested the ideas and stories we were developing for the book by presenting them in front of various audiences. On this particular occasion I was speaking to a group of technologists, creatives, and producers at one of Japan’s big advertising agencies (notorious for its overwork culture).
As I was telling them about how ceaseless busyness not only stands in the way of a fulfilling life but often also prevents true productivity — backing up my claims with academic research as well as real-world examples and case-studies — my core message clearly resonated with the group. Everyone…
