Karoshi. That’s a word in Japanese that means “death from overwork.”

The culture revolves around work. Some people put in 100 hours a week or more at their jobs, which, not surprisingly, led to the creation of the word. Last year, 54 people died from overwork, the government said in a report.

Now, however, the Japenese government is urging companies to experiment with a four-day workweek to address the issue.

“By realizing a society in which workers can choose from a variety of working styles based on their circumstances, we aim to create a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution and enable each and every worker to have a better outlook for the future,” says a statement on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website.

Despite the government’s push for the innovative approach, the transition has been slow and challenging. The effort began in 2021, but the ministry says only about 8 percent of companies now offer employees three or more days off per week.

The problem isn’t just with businesses. The real indicator of the uphill battle lies within Panasonic Holdings Corp. Of the 63,000 employees eligible for four-day workweeks, only 150 have opted to take advantage of the offer, the Associated Press reports.

To encourage wider adoption, especially among small and medium-sized businesses, the government launched a “work style reform” campaign. The initiative promotes shorter hours, flexible work arrangements, overtime limits, and paid annual leave. Recently, the labor ministry has added free consulting, grants, and a repository of success stories to motivate businesses further.

Despite 85 percent of employers reporting that they offer two days off per week, and legal restrictions on overtime negotiated with labor unions, many workers still perform “service overtime”—unreported and unpaid extra hours.