A look at stress and loneliness at work in Japan

How are your stress levels working here in Japan? Do you ever feel lonely? A recent survey from Kurumeshi Co., Ltd polled 815 adults across Japan, and looked into those key topics. I thought some of the results were interesting enough to share!

Their research found that 54.2% of respondents feel more physically tired and mentally drained after long holidays like Golden Week or summer break. For managers, that sense of fatigue is just as common, with just over half reporting increased workload and pressure once they are back at work.

One of the more eye-opening points for me was how much responsibility managers are carrying when it comes to team wellbeing. Around 45.7% said they're involved in supporting the mental health of their staff, but almost half (48.6%) said that ends up being a source of stress in itself. Among younger managers in their 20s and 30s, that pressure is even more noticeable.

There's also a very human detail in the results, which was isolation at work. More than one in three people said they have felt isolated in their workplace at some point, with managers reporting slightly higher levels again.

Then there's lunch, which turns out to be more of a big deal than you'd expect. About 61.3% of respondents said they usually eat lunch alone, often at their desks. The survey even suggests that people who regularly eat alone are more likely to report feeling isolated at work overall. It made me think about how something as simple as having a meal with a coworker can matter more than we think!