PREVIEW ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.

Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

Work with a partner, group, or your teacher. Do the activities below together.

PART 1 Discuss the questions below about overworking.

1 What are some factors that cause people to overwork?

2 How do you think overwork can negatively affect an individual, as well as
others around them?
3 How much pressure do you feel to work hard and perform well?

Do you agree (A), disagree (D), or partially (P) agree / disagree with the statements
PART 2
below? Explain your opinion.

A D P
1 Working long hours equates to high productivity.

2 It’s good for business and work culture to go out and drink with
your colleagues after the work day.

3 Companies should enforce limits or policies on the amount of

hours their employees spend working per week.

PART 3 Write the correct adverb for each word in the sentences below.

1 Working long hours can (occasion) result in serious

health problems, like a heart attack or stroke.

2 Working long hours doesn’t (necessary) mean high

productivity.

3 Working long hours is (report) very common in Japan.

PART 4 Choose the correct preposition that fits the context of each sentence below.

1 Company employees should take time off / out when they feel
overworked.

2 Company CEOs may resign from / over a controversy involving their

company.

3 Companies can be fined for / about violating labor laws or standards.

PREVIEW ACTIVITY 2 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

PART 1 Choose the correct definition for the vocabulary words as used in the sentences.

1 Innovations in manufacturing propelled the USA to become an economic

superpower.

propel means... a. cause to move forward

b. force or require to take action
c. fail to make progress

2 The government’s new anti-smoking initiative was a major success.

an initiative is... a. a campaign intended to cause protest

b. a campaign intended to boost the economy
c. a campaign intended to improve a situation

3 Despite being entitled to 20 vacation days in my employment contract, I rarely

use all of them.

to be entitled means... a. to have the right

b. to feel discriminated
c. to get punished

4 Many regulations have been implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19.

curb means... a. assess or examine

b. reduce or limit
c. stimulate or accelerate

5 Many people are less inclined to accept a job that requires them to travel a
long distance to the office.

inclined means... a. feeling of accomplishing something

b. feeling of worrying excessively
c. feeling of wanting to do something

Bonus Vocabulary!

feel guilty = feel bad about doing something wrong

EXAMPLE I felt guilty when I forgot to wish my mother a happy birthday.

underreported = reported to be less than is actually the case

EXAMPLE Many companies violate labor laws, but these cases are often underreported.
OVERWORK IN JAPAN: WHY DOES
JAPAN WORK SO HARD?
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

PREVIEW DISCUSSION: Read the discussion topic

below and discuss it with your partner or teacher.

What are some steps someone could take

to manage or prevent being overworked?

VIEWING ACTIVITY

PART 1 Write short answers according to the information in the video.

0:01 1 What does “karoshi” mean?

0:26 2 How is Japan’s “salaryman” defined?

2:07 3 What kind of tragedy happened to an employee working for the company Dentsu in
2015? What happened as a result of this?

2:43 4 What kinds of efforts or initiatives have been made in Japan to curb overwork?

4:22 5 How is it suggested that Japan can compensate for its labor shortage?

PART 2 In the video, the reporter says the following idea about Japan’s work culture...

“
Inside Japan’s corporations, the culture emphasizes the success of a
company as a whole to be more important than any single individual.”

What do you think about this idea? Do you think that the success of the company
you work for is more important than your individual career success?
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

PART 1 Choose the correct verb form that fits each sentence below. One isn’t used!

inclined violated propelled entitled reported

1 Some argue that the statistics for “karoshi” in Japan are under
and that the real number is actually much higher.

2 Japan’s strong work ethic dates back to their “economic miracle” of the 1950s,
which it to become the world’s second largest economy.

3 Despite being to 20 days off per year, Japanese workers left

10 of those days unused.

4 Although immigrants can help compensate for labor shortage, Japan has
always been less to accept immigrants.

PART 2 Write the correct preposition that was used in each sentence from the video below.

1 It’s reported in the video that Japanese workers aren’t taking enough time
.

2 The CEO of the company Dentsu resigned a controversy involving

the death of one of its employees due to overwork. The company was also
fined violating labor standards.

Choose whether “it’s” or “its” (without an apostrophe) was used in the sentences
PART 3
from the video below.

1 “Karoshi” means “death by overwork”. It’s / Its legally

recognized by the government in Japan.

2 Japan is dealing with a labor crisis. It’s / Its population is aging fast and
it’s / its birth rate is in decline. This means it’s / its total population
is going down. And in the next 50 years, it’s / its projected to shrink by
nearly a third.

3 Japan lost it’s / its spot as the world’s second largest economy to China
in 2011.
 POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 2 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

PART 1 Study the example and usage of past perfect.

In the video, the reporter says...

“ Japan lost its spot as the world’s second largest economy to China in 2011,
a title that it had previously held for 42 years.”

We use the past perfect to refer to actions or events that finished (or lasted for some time)
before another action or event that was also finished in the past.

In 2011, Japan lost its spot as the world’s second largest economy. (finished action in past)
It was a title that it had previously held for 42 years. (action lasted for 42 years until 2011)

STRUCTURE Subject + had / had not + [adverb] + past participle

I traveled to Japan in 2020. Before that, I had never been to Asia.
MORE EXAMPLES
Czechoslovakia was under Soviet rule for over 20 years, a regime that
had taken over in 1968.

PART 2 Write the correct past perfect form in the sentences below.

EX Although Ray is happy at his new job, he had felt (feel) guilty for a long time
about quitting his previous one.

1 I got a job as a software designer in 2018, which is a goal I (want) to

achieve ever since I graduated college.

2 Prior to the Christmas season at the end of last year, Anthony (not have)
a day off work since the summer.

3 Before buying her own car a few years ago, my sister (take) the subway
to work since she first got her job.

4 A local pub in my town called “The Dubliner” closed down in June. Me and my colleagues
(go) there almost every weekend for years.

5 It was good to see one of my previous bosses last week, who I (not see)
for a few years before that.

6 Despite feeling happy these days, I (deal) with depression for a long
time before going to therapy.
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 3
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

SPEAKING TASK:

Your teacher will choose a few of the speaking topics below to discuss. Discuss the topics
with your teacher or partner. In your discussion, explain your ideas in detail.

1 In Japan, some workers spend their whole career working

for the same company / firm. What do you think would be
the pros and cons of this? Can you imagine it for yourself?

2 Although stress from work is generally considered to be a

negative thing, do you think stress is ever good or useful?

3 In the video, the reporter discusses Japan’s strong work

ethic. How would you describe your own work ethic? Do
you believe that working hard has a moral benefit or
strengthens character?

4 What kind of stress do you think freelancers or small

business owners have to deal with in comparison with
employees who work for companies?

5 How satisfied are you with the amount of vacation time

you have per year? Do you always use all of it?

WRITING + SPEAKING TASK:

In the video, the reporter described a few initiatives that were implemented in Japan in
order to curb overwork, such as “Premium Fridays” and a new holiday called “Mountain
Day”. Think of a different social or cultural problem. Come up with two initiatives that
could help resolve this problem. Write the names of the initiatives and describe them.

PROBLEM:

INITIATIVE #1:

INITIATIVE #2:
QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2021. For use only with license.
Overwork In Japan: Why Does Japan Work So Hard? (B2 - C1)

Work with a partner. Complete the quiz and review activities below.

PART 1 Questions. Discuss and answer the questions below about the video.

1. What does the term “karoshi” mean?

2. What does the work culture emphasize in Japan?
3. What is mentioned about Japan’s population in the video? How does it relate
to the topic of overwork?

PART 2 Vocabulary: Explain and/or write what each word or term means below.

1. feel guilty

2. propel

PART 3 Vocabulary: Write the missing words in the spaces below.

1 Some argue that the statistics for “karoshi” in Japan are

and that the real number is actually much higher.

2 Despite being to 20 days off per year, Japanese workers left

10 of those days unused.

3 Japan implemented several in order to the

amount of hours people work.

Grammar: Explain the usage of the past perfect. Do you remember the example from
PART 4
the video? If so, finish writing the missing part of the sentence below.

Japan lost its spot as the world’s second largest economy to China in 2011, a title
that it for 42 years.

PART 5 Bonus: Write which prefix (over or under) fits the context of each sentence below.

EX The statistics for “karoshi” are under reported in Japan.

1 Employees who feel that they’re paid at work tend to quit.
2 I estimated how long my drive to the office would take and arrived
a bit early.
3 populated cities tend to have intense smog and pollution.
4 Since our restaurant is staffed, we’re looking to hire.