Adopting a four-day week was the decision of the company's president, who admits he wasn't sure how it would work.

採用每週四天工作制是公司總裁的決定，他承認自己並不確定這樣做是否可行。

I didn't know how much time off would increase efficiency, so I thought, why not increase days off by one a month and see how it goes?

我不知道請多少假能提高效率，所以我想，為什麼不每月增加一天假，看看效果如何？

Company executive Shinichi Fujimori often spends the extra day off following his passion for music in the band he's been a member of for 25 years.

公司高管藤森信一經常利用額外的休息日，在他已加入 25 年的樂隊中追尋他對音樂的熱情。

I've gained more time to reflect on my own life and think about what truly makes me happy.

我有了更多的時間來反思自己的生活，思考什麼才是真正讓我快樂的事情。

It's estimated fewer than one in ten companies gives their workers three or more days off per week, while about the same number of firms only give their workers the legally mandated one day off.

據估計，只有不到十分之一的公司每週給員工三天或三天以上的假期，而同樣數量的公司只給員工法定的一天假期。

It's a work ethic that's so ingrained, the Japanese language even has a word that means literally death from overwork, karoshi, with one recent government report estimating at least 50 such fatalities per year, including from heart attacks.

這是一種根深蒂固的職業道德，日語中甚至有一個詞 "karoshi"，意思是過勞死，最近的一份政府報告估計，每年至少有 50 人死於過勞死，其中包括心臟病發作。

The phenomenon was highlighted nearly ten years ago, when an advertising agency employee killed herself.

近十年前，廣告公司的一名員工自殺身亡，這一現象被凸顯出來。

Matsuri Takahashi had been forced to work excessive overtime.

高橋松裡被迫超時工作。

Regardless of the size of the company or the profession, similar tragedies are happening across Japan.

無論公司規模大小，無論從事何種職業，類似的悲劇在日本各地都在發生。

This company is finding less time in the office can be more productive.

這家公司發現，減少在辦公室的時間可以提高工作效率。

The employees feel they want to protect the company and maintain this new working style.

員工們認為他們要保護公司，維護這種新的工作方式。

They understand the importance of increasing sales and efficiency.

他們深知提高銷售額和效率的重要性。

Here it seems, for employer and employee, a winning balance.

對於僱主和僱員來說，這似乎是一個成功的平衡點。

Rob McBride, Al Jazeera, Tokyo

羅布-麥克布萊德，半島電視臺，東京