"Japan gov't survey shows most convenience store owners overworked", 6 November 2019

A government survey on convenience store operations showed...that most store owners are overworked, with 85 percent of them saying they work six days or more a week.

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry has been surveying working conditions in the convenience store industry as problems associated with 24/7 operations and long working hours have surfaced amid the country's labor crunch.

The survey was conducted in August [2019] on 3,645 franchise store owners and 500 employees.

According to the survey, 66 percent of store owners said they have "less than a day" off from work per week, and 19 percent have one day off.

As for work hours, 29 percent of store owners and 56 percent of store owners' family members who help run the outlets said they work 12 hours or longer a day...

Many [owners] questioned the need to keep running stores 24 hours a day due to the high personnel cost of keeping them open during slow hours, according to the survey.

...The ministry plans to directly hear from officials of eight major convenience store operators including [Seven & i subsidiary] Seven-Eleven Japan Co. and Lawson Inc. this month about their 24-hour operation policy, profit distribution between franchisees and their emergency preparedness.