Japan Survey Shows Share of Hospital Doctors Exceeding Overtime Cap Fell to 15 Percent

Fifteen percent of hospital doctors in Japan work more than 960 hours of overtime per year, according to a health ministry survey released during expert panel discussions that began July 13. The share has declined from 39.2 percent in 2016 and 21.2 percent in 2022. The survey covered 13,205 full-time doctors at hospitals and was conducted in October 2025.

Since April 2024, overtime for most doctors has been capped at 960 hours per year. Certain hospitals handling high-level emergency care, cancer treatment, or specialized training are exempt and may allow up to 1,860 hours. More than 20 percent of doctors in surgery, OB-GYN, and emergency departments exceeded the 960-hour threshold.

University hospitals recorded an average of 52.2 overtime hours per week, compared with 44.3 hours at other hospitals. Over half of the 1,886 hospitals surveyed said they lack clear policies defining which self-study activities count as work time. The panel will examine task delegation to nurses and other staff, wider use of artificial intelligence, and measures to retain female doctors after childbirth.