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Society

When the clock strikes 5, Japan's workforce goes back to work

Reforms to improve work-life balance have left some hustling for extra cash

Tokyo workers are leaving their offices earlier than they used to in 2017, mobile tracking data show.

TOKYO -- The push to reduce overtime in Japan is starting to have wide-ranging effects on Japanese society, from shifting traffic patterns to boosting part-time work six months after a law was passed to improve the country's notoriously lacking work-life balance.

Total overtime by Japan's workers fell year-on-year for the 14th straight month in August, according to the Labor Ministry. A close look at mobile tracker data, provided by NTT Docomo unit Docomo InsightMarketing, sheds light on where they are spending their time outside the office.

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